Google's I/O conference is underway, but before it even begun, the company rolled out a new version of the Google Play Store. The update, which was first reported by Android Police, brings some nice visual improvements and plenty of fresh features that help improve the core functionality of the shop. It was only a month ago that Google issued a major redesign to its Play Store, and while this update is not as huge as that, it still brings some useful changes.
The first change users will notice is a tweak to the look of the six navigation buttons on the top of the screen. The functionality of the buttons remains the same, but the boring boxes have been replaced by colorful ones, which gives the store much more life.
Google has also made a small tweak to wishlists on phones, which now use the same visual style as the tablet version. Before this update, the phone version appeared as a less functional list.
The update and uninstall buttons for apps have been adjusted too, with more space added between the two. This should save users from accidentally clicking the wrong button, which is a small, but welcome change.
Another small but important tweak relates to the way Google Play handles downloading large files on mobile data, with users now receiving a warning beforehand to save them from inadvertently eating up their data allowance or incur in pricey overage fees. In addition, the Update All function now detects whenever an app update requires new permissions, and prompts users to allow any changes accordingly.
Lastly, an option for "App Sync Data" has been added. Google is likely to give more detail about this at the conference today, but it might mean that app data and game saves can now be saved to the cloud.
As is always the case with changes to the Google Play Store, the update is rolling out gradually.