Google is getting serious about designing its own tablet-friendly Play Store | Tech Reddy

There is less space for a large screen user base

source: Google

Google is gearing up to unveil the new Pixel 7 and 7 Pro on October 6, but beyond that, we’ve got the Pixel tablet waiting. Even before it got here, Google has been trying to show tablets some overdue love, as it has done to optimize apps for more than 20 companies. After Material You’s dynamic re-theming, we’re seeing the Play Store on Android tablets become what we were promised at Google I/O 2022.

Until now, the Play Store shared the same basic interface between smartphones and tablets: prominent Play Store branding, a full-width search bar, a left-side navigation drawer, and horizontal scrolling carousels for days. Just rotate your phone and you will have the Play Store interface for tablets. But now 9to5Google has reported that the version 32.5.16-21 of the Play Store for Android tablets will bring many changes.

Old Play Store UI for Android tablets

First, the icon bar in the navigation rail has replaced the navigation drawer. This wasted screen real estate is drastically reduced. The active icon takes on a pill-shaped feature, and you can see how the full-width search bar at the top has shrunk and aligned to the left, creating a space between it and the Play Points counter. The counter is on the right, along with the notifications icon and your profile avatar.

New Play Store UI

If you want to use your tablet in portrait mode (we won’t judge), you’ll see tab-like buttons at the bottom instead of a navigation rail, like on smartphones. However, the narrow search bar remains left-aligned.

Apps are still displayed in carousels in this update, but Google is still bringing changes, moving closer to the futuristic Play Store we saw at I/O. In the meantime, if you can’t wait for Google to launch its Pixel-branded tablet, check out our list of the best Android tablets to buy today.