Google Play adds AI App creation and personalized gaming features
Google has announced new features for Google Play that let users create and run personal apps with AI, discover games tailored to their interests and access gaming challenges and rewards, Qazinform News Agency reports.
Using Google AI Studio, users aged 18 and over in select markets, including the United States, can create custom Android apps with AI and run them on their own devices through Google Play without a developer account. The apps remain separate from the public store catalog. Google plans to introduce private sharing with friends and family in the coming months.
The platform is also expanding personalized content discovery. Its new Game Finder recommends games based on users’ preferences, gameplay styles and interests, while Ask Play can compare apps and provide tailored recommendations. Google is also bringing apps, games and developer content from Google Play into Gemini conversations, with the feature set to roll out to all Gemini users soon.
New gaming features include Sprints, 48-hour challenges for groups of two to five players, and Sidekick, an in-game overlay that now lets users record 30-second Playbacks on select devices. Community Posts allow players to ask and answer questions directly on game detail pages.
Google Play is expanding its PC game selection with titles such as Dave the Diver and Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun. It is also extending Game Trials to PC, allowing users to try premium games for a limited time before buying them.
Players can earn additional benefits through Play Points during the week-long Play Fest, which offers points multipliers, in-game items, developer offers and sweepstakes for real-world prizes.
The updates also include new family safety features. Through Family Link, parents can share a child’s age range with apps so they can provide age-appropriate experiences using only the minimum information required.
Earlier, it was reported that Google would restrict free access to some of its Gemini AI models as part of changes to model availability taking effect this month.