Share on Facebook Share on LinkedIn Copy link × Get shareable link VP & GM, Google Play + Developer Ecosystem The year is off to a great start and I’m so proud of what we’ve already built together in the first quarter of 2026! Last month, we made a big announcement: substantial changes to Google Play’s business model, including expanded billing choice that gives developers the option to use their own billing system alongside Google Play’s. We’re also decoupling our platform fees and billing fees to reflect the distinct value provided by each service. These changes will provide more choice for users and more flexibility for our developers, and we’re excited to see how this inspires innovation. Our team also attended the Game Developers Conference (GDC) in San Francisco, where we had the opportunity to connect with thousands of game developers to share how we’re continuing our journey to make Play the best place for cross-platform gaming . We’ve made it even easier for gamers to discover and play games across their devices while inviting PC and paid game developers to join our platform. Read on for more of our gaming announcements from GDC plus highlights from across our store. Link to Youtube Video (visible only when JS is disabled) Continuing to make Play the best destination for games Google Play’s mission is to build a gaming experience that revolves around our users. This past quarter at the GDC Festival of Gaming, we launched new updates designed to help players find their next favorite game and excel at the ones they love. Helping players find more games they’ll love across mobile and PC As gamers increasingly play between mobile and PC, we’re expanding our platform to make it easier for players to find PC and paid games while helping developers reach new audiences. New PC section in Play Store Games tab : Players can now explore games optimized for Windows. With just a tap, they can wishlist titles for sale alerts, and with the new PC badge, they can easily identify cross-platform titles. Game trials : Players can now try select paid games at no cost, with progress carrying over upon purchase. For developers using Android App Bundle, this feature converts players without the overhead of a separate codebase. ‘Buy once, play anywhere’ pricing : A single purchase now unlocks both mobile and PC versions for select paid titles, including the Reigns series, OTTTD, Dungeon Clawler, and Brotato: Premium. Play Pass titles on PC: Paid titles on Play Pass can now be opted into Google Play Games on PC, allowing players to enjoy their games on larger screens. Cross-device support for Google Play Games on PC: Users can now search, browse, and remote-install games directly from their phones. Playing better with help from the community and AI We’re making it easier for players to excel at their favorite titles. Whether offering strategies from fellow players or AI-generated tips, Google Play is helping the community share what they know. Community Posts : Now available in English for dozens of popular games, this dedicated space —found on You tab and store listings for installed games—allows our two billion gamers to swap tips and troubleshoot directly within Google Play. Play Games Sidekick : This in-game overlay streamlines in-game device actions, curates relevant gaming information, and gives players AI-generated Game Tips - all to help gamers stay in the game. Live now in over 90 titles and expanding soon, all developers can now test how players interact with the feature before its general release later this year. Google Play Rewards Tour: Delighting Play Points members The Google Play Rewards Tour arrived in Los Angeles to celebrate awards season in the US. We brought members closer to the music they love with exclusive online and on-the-ground rewards at the Google Store in Santa Monica. Fans played 'Road Case Rush' for limited-edition gear and joined exclusive meet-and-greets with PinkPantheress and EJAE. Link to Youtube Video (visible only when JS is disabled) Helping users discover content they’ll love We launched new tools and features to connect people with their favorite apps and games while helping developers reach their ideal audiences. Apps Home updates: Driving discovery through curated entertainment content We are delivering more personalized, visually engaging experiences on Apps Home to make discovering great content simpler than ever. Play shorts: Users can explore apps with new bite-size video content and experience a full-screen video feed when browsing. Play shorts is a simple way to see exactly how an app works before downloading, without leaving Google Play. With Play shorts, users can discover new apps by scrolling through full-screen videos Spotlighting key moments and relevant apps: We’ve reimagined the top of Apps Home to reach users during important cultural moments like the Winter Olympics and the Oscars while highlighting the most-relevant app offerings. Expanded pages for sports content: We launched Sports Topic Pages for the NFL and NBA in the US and for Coupang in Korea, giving users access to more timely sports content. New and expanded comics discovery : We brought comic previews to Japan after earlier launches in Korea and the US. We also launched a new tool to show upcoming manga releases, making it easier for fans to discover and keep up on the latest installments in their favorite manga series. Immersive short-form drama experience: A new immersive, full-screen experience launched on Apps Home in the US and allows users to watch bite-sized episodes of dramas within the Play Store. Search improvements: Giving people more ways to find the right app

We introduced new ways to help people discover content more effectively, Supercharging Ask Play Q&A: We’ve upgraded our existing Q&A capabilities by deepening our Gemini integration, ensuring English language users in all non-EEA markets receive timely, accurate, and comprehensive answers to their questions about apps or games. Trending topics and media suggestions in Search: We now surface trending searches to users in 13 markets, showcasing high-interest topics in each region. We also highlight popular TV and movie suggestions in select markets to help surface the entertainment that everyone’s watching. Improved search capabilities for reviews: We’ve added the ability to search for specific keywords on the “All Reviews” page for an app, allowing users to find relevant feedback faster. Health and fitness app discovery: We’re helping users find Health Connect-integrated apps with a new designation on relevant app detail pages and a dedicated search filter. Driving global growth with secure, frictionless payments for users Google Play Commerce helps buyers make seamless, secure purchases and unlocks international revenue growth for apps and games businesses. Improved payment conversion: Reducing churn: To help make the checkout experience more seamless, we’ve introduced updates that minimize friction during failed transactions. This includes making it easier for users to switch to an alternate payment method immediately if a payment is flagged or declined. Additionally, we’ve extended the subscription recovery period from 30 to 60 days, giving developers more time to retain subscribers automatically. Mandatory checks: Strengthening verification for free trials : We’ve expanded mandatory verification checks for web-based signups to better align with our mobile standards. This update helps ensure free trial eligibility is handled fairly by preventing the use of multiple accounts to bypass limits, ultimately protecting developer businesses from trial misuse while maintaining a consistent experience across all platforms. We’ve overhauled Play Console to provide a more granular, transparent view of how our platform features directly impact developer revenue and reach. Expanded transaction reporting : Developers can now pinpoint where their revenue originates with new dimensions for sales channels and feature mapping. This allows them to track ROI across in-app, on-store, and cross-platform surfaces while identifying which specific platform features are driving growth. Buyflow conversion reporting : Developers can access an integrated view of cart conversion rates and premium device performance. This moves beyond basic metrics to provide data-backed recommendations, helping them identify friction points and optimize specific revenue drivers. More Gemini-powered chart descriptions : To help developers translate raw data into business strategy, we’ve expanded Gemini descriptions to the Reach & Devices, Store Performance, and Revenue pages. These AI-driven summaries help them interpret complex charts at a glance. “Value of Play” insights : A dynamic dashboard now quantifies the revenue Google Play generates for developers—from recovered subscriptions to price experiments. New global transaction tax management system : We’ve launched a standardized system to simplify how developers manage tax compliance worldwide. By moving from fragmented, country-specific settings to 27 global product tax categories, we’ve made it easier to manage tax rates and apply special, lower-rate categories to SKUs that were previously unavailable. Boosting trust with safer, high-quality experiences Google Play enables high-quality experiences for all users by prioritizing secure and seamless interactions, empowering developer tools, and robust platform protections. Through these tools and protections—including advanced AI—we’ve scaled our ability to combat malware. Earlier this year, we shared a look back at how we kept the app ecosystem safe in 2025. Enhanced app submission control: Helping developers better manage app updates We introduced the " Changes ready to send for review " feature in Play Console to give developers more control over which changes are being sent for review. By allowing them to hold back changes until they are ready, we prevent premature updates and ensure a higher-quality experience for users. Battery health standards: Minimizing excessive app power drain for users To help developers build resource-efficient apps, we provided guidance for optimizing background tasks like location and sensor tracking. We also introduced store listing warnings for apps exceeding wake lock thresholds, alerting users to potential battery drain so they have clear expectations and a more predictable experience with the apps they choose. Expanding pre-review checks: Streamlining app review approvals while protecting user data We launched a new pre-review check in Play Console to help identify potentially unnecessary photo permission requests before they even submit their app for review. By flagging these policy issues early, we’re helping developers avoid unexpected rejections and get their app to users faster—all while maintaining high standards for data privacy. Championing our global developer community Our incredible developer community is the foundation of Google Play. We’re focused on streamlining their path to success, equipping them with the tools to grow, and shining a spotlight on the innovations they bring to life. Google Play Apps Accelerator : We are helping early-stage companies from over 60 countries scale through this new global initiative. From a competitive pool of applicants, we’ve selected our first class to begin a 12-week journey of 1-1 mentorship and a curriculum focused on product quality, go-to-market strategy, and monetization. And with that, the momentum continues. Stay tuned for more exciting announcements to be shared at Google I/O in May. We also look forward to connecting with developer communities around the world at our I/O Connect events in Berlin, Bengaluru, and Shanghai throughout the summer. Excited for what’s next, Sam Brig ht VP & GM, Google Play + Developer Ecosystem In this quarterly report Continuing to make Play the best destination for games Helping users discover content they’ll love Driving global growth with secure, frictionless payments for users Boosting trust with safer, high-quality experiences Championing our global developer community Read previous quarterly report