Google Play AI tool expansion

Google has made several changes to the Play Store centered on AI tools for discovery and app creation. Ask Play, originally launched in 2025 as a chatbot on individual app and game listings, now functions as a broader search layer that generates recommendations with comparison charts. Gemini is getting a similar app and game discovery capability. Game Finder, a separate feature, draws on usage data from 1.2 billion Android gamers to build individual 'Gamer DNA' profiles and match users with people who share similar habits. On the creation side, anyone 18 or older can publish an AI Studio-built app to the Play Store without a paid developer account. Previously, that path required a $25 registration fee, a completed Play Console profile, and led to an internal testing track capped at 100 testers. Published apps under the new route are privately listed and never appear in Play Store search or recommendations. AI Studio builds apps from a text description using an agent that generates Kotlin and Jetpack Compose projects, a capability Google added at its I/O conference in May. The feature requires no Android SDK setup, and the generated app can be installed on a physical Android device via USB. The Play Store will also soon offer a way for users to privately host and share apps they build with AI coding tools.