Google has unveiled a major redesign of the Google Play Store, introducing a suite of AI-powered features and new user experiences aimed at making the platform more personalized, engaging, and central to users’ digital lives. The update focuses on improving discovery, streamlining access to content, and enhancing the gaming experience. A key addition is the new Guided Search feature, which uses Gemini AI to help users find apps and games based on goals or ideas rather than specific names. For example, typing “find a home” could surface real estate or property management apps. This shift from keyword-based to intent-driven search aims to make discovery more intuitive. The Apps tab has been overhauled with “curated spaces” that highlight seasonal content and topics aligned with individual user interests. In the U.S., this includes dedicated content around the WNBA, while users in Korea will see a curated space focused on video content like dramas and serialized stories—reflecting the growing popularity of short-form video on mobile devices. These spaces build on earlier launches in India and Japan, where cricket and manga were featured. A new You tab serves as a personalized home base within the Play Store, consolidating subscriptions, Play Points rewards, recommendations, and progress tracking for books, shows, podcasts, and games. It helps users easily resume what they were reading, listening to, or watching. Gamers will also find their personalized gamer profile here, complete with stats and achievements across devices. These profiles can now be customized using AI-generated avatars created with Gemini. For gaming, Google is launching a revamped Games tab that centralizes achievements, rewards, and community features. Play Games Leagues will let users challenge friends and earn Play Points, starting with a league for Subway Surfers running from October 10 to 23. The standout new feature is the Play Games Sidekick, an AI-powered in-game overlay powered by Gemini Live. It allows users to get real-time help without leaving the game—asking for tips, strategies, or encouragement. The feature leverages Google’s latest audio-to-audio AI model to understand context and deliver quick, relevant responses. Initially available in select games from EA and Netmarble, including Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes, FC Mobile, and Solo Leveling: Arise, it’s designed to keep players engaged and reduce friction in learning gameplay. Game Detail Pages are also being enhanced with live updates on events, developer news, and promotions. Starting next month, users will be able to ask and answer questions directly on these pages, creating a community-driven support system. Finally, the Google Play Games on PC service, which brings over 200,000 games to Windows, is now exiting beta and becoming generally available. These changes reflect Google’s broader strategy to transform the Play Store from a simple app marketplace into a dynamic, AI-driven hub for entertainment, discovery, and engagement.