Google Play Expands App and Game Discovery With AI

Google is expanding the way people find apps and games on Google Play with a group of new features announced at Google I/O 2026. The updates lean heavily on AI and short-form video, giving users new ways to search, browse, and preview what they may want to install next.

The changes point to a broader shift for Google Play. Instead of keeping app discovery limited to the store itself, Google is building connections between Play, Gemini, search-style AI tools, and in-app content. The goal is to make finding the right app, game, or content less frustrating and more direct.

One of the biggest updates is Google Play’s integration with the Gemini app. In the coming weeks, Google will enable app discovery inside Gemini on Android and the web.

That means Gemini users will be able to discover apps and games connected to Google Play without starting directly inside the Play Store. Google is positioning Gemini as a discovery layer for apps, games, and other Play content, making it part of the path users take when they search for something new.

Gemini Will Surface Movies, TV Shows, and Live Sports Streaming Options

Later this year, Gemini will also begin surfacing more than 450,000 movies and TV shows. It will also show where users can stream live sports.

The experience will include deep links that take users directly into app content. Instead of simply pointing users toward an app, Gemini will help connect them to the content they are looking for inside supported apps.

This expands Google Play’s role beyond traditional app browsing. Apps, games, movies, TV shows, and live sports discovery are all being tied more closely to Gemini.

Play Shorts Brings Short-Form Video Previews to Google Play

Google is also introducing Play Shorts, a short-form video feed built into the app store.

Play Shorts uses a full-screen, portrait-style video format designed to give users quick previews of an app’s look, feel, and functionality. The format is built for fast browsing, letting people get a better sense of what an app does before deciding whether it is worth exploring further.

Play Shorts Rolls Out First to US Users and Select Developers

Play Shorts is rolling out to users in the US and select developers first. Broader market availability is planned for later.

The feature gives developers a new way to present their apps visually inside Google Play. For users, it creates a faster way to judge whether an app matches what they are looking for, especially when screenshots or written descriptions are not enough.

Google is adding Ask Play, a conversational AI overlay for finding apps.

Ask Play is designed to understand the full context of a user’s question. It can also adapt to follow-up questions, helping recommend the right app as the search becomes more specific.

This changes the search experience from a simple keyword-based process into something more conversational. A user can ask a broader question, refine it, and get app recommendations that reflect the full exchange.

Ask Play Highlights Summarizes Complex Searches

Alongside Ask Play, Google is introducing Ask Play highlights.

This companion feature gives users a high-level summary of complex searches directly on the search results page. Instead of making users dig through results one by one, Ask Play highlights will provide a clearer overview when the query is more involved.

Together, Ask Play and Ask Play highlights are meant to reduce the friction of finding the right app, especially when users are not exactly sure what to search for.

Play Games Sidekick Adds New Social Features

Google is also updating the Play Games Sidekick overlay.

The refreshed overlay will include new social features, including the ability for players to see which friends are playing the same game. Players will also be able to track their achievements.

A global rollout for the updated Play Games Sidekick overlay is planned for this summer.

Google Play Moves Beyond the Store Surface

These Google Play updates are part of a wider push to extend the store’s reach beyond its own surface.

AI assistants are increasingly becoming the place where users begin looking for new apps, games, and content. Google’s updates reflect that shift by placing app discovery inside Gemini, adding conversational search through Ask Play, and using short-form video through Play Shorts to make browsing faster and more visual.

The result is a Google Play experience that is less confined to the app store and more connected to the places where users already search, ask questions, and explore content.