<s>
Google	B-Application
Play	I-Application
,	O
also	O
known	O
as	O
the	B-Application
Google	B-Application
Play	I-Application
Store	O
and	O
formerly	O
the	O
Android	B-Application
Market	I-Application
,	O
is	O
a	O
digital	O
distribution	O
service	O
operated	O
and	O
developed	O
by	O
Google	B-Application
.	I-Application
</s>
<s>
It	O
serves	O
as	O
the	O
official	O
app	B-Application
store	I-Application
for	O
certified	O
devices	O
running	O
on	O
the	O
Android	B-Application
operating	I-Application
system	I-Application
and	O
its	O
derivatives	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
ChromeOS	B-Operating_System
,	O
allowing	O
users	O
to	O
browse	O
and	O
download	O
applications	O
developed	O
with	O
the	O
Android	B-Application
software	I-Application
development	I-Application
kit	I-Application
(	O
SDK	B-Application
)	O
and	O
published	O
through	O
Google	B-Application
.	I-Application
</s>
<s>
Google	B-Application
Play	I-Application
has	O
also	O
served	O
as	O
a	O
digital	O
media	O
store	O
,	O
offering	O
games	O
,	O
music	O
,	O
books	O
,	O
movies	O
,	O
and	O
television	O
programs	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Content	O
that	O
has	O
been	O
purchased	O
on	O
Google	B-Application
Play	I-Application
Movies	I-Application
&	I-Application
TV	I-Application
and	O
Google	B-Operating_System
Play	I-Operating_System
Books	I-Operating_System
can	O
be	O
accessed	O
on	O
a	O
web	B-Application
browser	I-Application
and	O
through	O
the	O
Android	B-Application
and	O
iOS	B-Application
apps	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Applications	O
are	O
available	O
through	O
Google	B-Application
Play	I-Application
either	O
for	O
free	O
or	O
at	O
a	O
cost	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
can	O
be	O
downloaded	O
directly	O
on	O
an	O
Android	B-Application
device	O
through	O
the	O
proprietary	B-Application
Google	B-Application
Play	I-Application
Store	I-Application
mobile	B-Application
app	I-Application
or	O
by	O
deploying	B-Application
the	O
application	O
to	O
a	O
device	O
from	O
the	B-Application
Google	I-Application
Play	O
website	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-Application
Google	I-Application
Play	O
Store	O
had	O
over	O
82	O
billion	O
app	O
downloads	O
in	O
2016	O
and	O
over	O
3.5	O
million	O
apps	O
published	O
in	O
2017	O
,	O
while	O
after	O
a	O
purge	O
of	O
apps	O
,	O
it	O
is	O
back	O
to	O
over	O
3	O
million	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Google	B-Application
Play	I-Application
was	O
launched	O
on	O
March	O
6	O
,	O
2012	O
,	O
bringing	O
together	O
Android	B-Application
Market	I-Application
,	O
Google	B-Application
Music	I-Application
,	O
Google	B-Application
Movies	I-Application
,	O
and	O
the	B-Application
Google	I-Application
eBookstore	O
under	O
one	O
brand	O
,	O
marking	O
a	O
shift	O
in	O
Google	B-Application
's	I-Application
digital	O
distribution	O
strategy	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Following	O
their	O
rebranding	O
,	O
Google	B-Application
has	O
expanded	O
the	O
geographical	O
support	O
for	O
each	O
of	O
the	O
services	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Since	O
2018	O
,	O
Google	B-Application
has	O
gradually	O
sunsetted	O
the	O
Play	O
brand	O
:	O
Play	B-Application
Newsstand	I-Application
was	O
rebranded	O
as	O
Google	B-Application
News	I-Application
in	O
2018	O
;	O
Play	B-Application
Music	I-Application
was	O
discontinued	O
in	O
favor	O
of	O
YouTube	B-Application
Music	I-Application
in	O
2020	O
;	O
and	O
Play	B-Application
Movies	I-Application
&	I-Application
TV	I-Application
was	O
rebranded	O
as	O
Google	B-Application
TV	I-Application
in	O
2021	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
By	O
2017	O
,	O
Google	B-Application
Play	I-Application
featured	O
more	O
than	O
3.5million	O
Android	B-Application
applications	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
Google	B-Application
purged	O
a	O
lot	O
of	O
apps	O
from	O
the	B-Application
Google	I-Application
Play	O
Store	O
,	O
the	O
number	O
of	O
apps	O
has	O
risen	O
back	O
to	O
over	O
3	O
million	O
Android	B-Application
applications	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
of	O
2017	O
,	O
developers	O
in	O
more	O
than	O
150	O
locations	O
could	O
distribute	O
apps	O
on	O
Google	B-Application
Play	I-Application
,	O
though	O
not	O
every	O
location	O
supports	O
merchant	O
registration	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Google	B-Application
Play	I-Application
allows	O
developers	O
to	O
release	O
early	O
versions	O
of	O
apps	O
to	O
a	O
select	O
group	O
of	O
users	O
,	O
as	O
alpha	O
or	O
beta	O
tests	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
network	O
carriers	O
offer	O
billing	O
for	O
Google	B-Application
Play	I-Application
purchases	O
,	O
allowing	O
users	O
to	O
opt	O
for	O
charges	O
in	O
the	O
monthly	O
phone	O
bill	O
rather	O
than	O
on	O
credit	O
cards	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
At	O
the	B-Application
Google	I-Application
I/O	O
2013	O
Developer	O
Conference	O
,	O
Google	B-Application
announced	O
the	O
introduction	O
of	O
Google	B-Application
Play	I-Application
Games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Google	B-Application
Play	I-Application
Games	O
is	O
an	O
online	B-Application
gaming	I-Application
service	O
for	O
Android	B-Application
that	O
features	O
real-time	O
multiplayer	O
gaming	O
capabilities	O
,	O
cloud	O
saves	O
,	O
social	O
and	O
public	O
leaderboards	O
,	O
and	O
achievements	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Its	O
standalone	O
mobile	B-Application
app	I-Application
was	O
launched	O
on	O
July	O
24	O
,	O
2013	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Google	B-Operating_System
Play	I-Operating_System
Books	I-Operating_System
is	O
an	O
ebook	O
digital	O
distribution	O
service	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Google	B-Application
Play	I-Application
offers	O
over	O
five	O
million	O
ebooks	O
available	O
for	O
purchase	O
,	O
and	O
users	O
can	O
also	O
upload	O
up	O
to	O
1,000	O
of	O
their	O
own	O
ebooks	O
in	O
the	O
form	O
of	O
PDF	B-Application
or	O
EPUB	O
file	O
formats	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
,	O
Google	B-Operating_System
Play	I-Operating_System
Books	I-Operating_System
is	O
available	O
in	O
75	O
countries	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Google	B-Application
Play	I-Application
Movies	I-Application
&	I-Application
TV	I-Application
was	O
a	O
video	B-Application
on	I-Application
demand	I-Application
service	O
offering	O
movies	O
and	O
television	O
shows	O
available	O
for	O
purchase	O
or	O
rental	O
,	O
depending	O
on	O
availability	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
October	O
2020	O
,	O
Google	B-Application
Play	I-Application
Movies	I-Application
&	I-Application
TV	I-Application
was	O
renamed	O
Google	B-Application
TV	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Google	B-Application
announced	O
on	O
March	O
22	O
,	O
2022	O
,	O
that	O
Google	B-Application
Play	I-Application
will	O
remove	O
Play	B-Application
Movies	I-Application
&	I-Application
TV	I-Application
from	O
their	O
store	O
and	O
will	O
be	O
moved	O
to	O
Google	B-Application
TV	I-Application
by	O
May	O
2022	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
September	O
23	O
,	O
2019	O
,	O
Google	B-Application
launched	O
its	O
Google	B-Application
Play	I-Application
Pass	I-Application
games	O
and	O
apps	O
subscription	O
service	O
in	O
the	O
US	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Google	B-Application
introduced	O
Project	O
Mainline	O
in	O
Android	B-Application
10	I-Application
,	O
allowing	O
core	O
OS	O
components	O
to	O
be	O
updated	O
via	O
the	B-Application
Google	I-Application
Play	O
Store	O
,	O
without	O
requiring	O
a	O
complete	O
system	O
update	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Android	B-Application
10	I-Application
supports	O
updates	O
for	O
core	O
OS	O
components	O
including	O
:	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
December	O
4	O
,	O
2019	O
,	O
Qualcomm	O
announced	O
their	O
Snapdragon	O
865	O
supports	O
GPU	B-Architecture
drivers	O
updated	O
via	O
the	B-Application
Google	I-Application
Play	O
Store	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
feature	O
was	O
initially	O
introduced	O
with	O
Android	B-Application
Oreo	I-Application
but	O
vendors	O
had	O
not	O
added	O
support	O
yet	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2020	O
,	O
Google	B-Application
launched	O
a	O
new	O
children-focused	O
'	O
Teacher	O
Approved	O
 '	O
section	O
for	O
the	B-Application
Google	I-Application
Play	O
Store	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Google	B-Application
Play	I-Application
(	O
previously	O
styled	O
Google	B-Application
play	I-Application
)	O
originated	O
from	O
three	O
distinct	O
products	O
:	O
Android	B-Application
Market	I-Application
,	O
Google	B-Application
Music	I-Application
and	O
Google	B-Operating_System
eBookstore	I-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
Android	B-Application
Market	I-Application
was	O
announced	O
by	O
Google	B-Application
on	O
August	O
28	O
,	O
2008	O
,	O
and	O
was	O
made	O
available	O
to	O
users	O
on	O
October	O
22	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
December	O
2010	O
,	O
content	O
filtering	O
was	O
added	O
to	O
Android	B-Application
Market	I-Application
,	O
each	O
app	O
's	O
details	O
page	O
started	O
showing	O
a	O
promotional	O
graphic	O
at	O
the	O
top	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
maximum	O
size	O
of	O
an	O
app	O
was	O
raised	O
from	O
25megabytes	O
to	O
50megabytes	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-Application
Google	I-Application
eBookstore	O
was	O
launched	O
on	O
December	O
6	O
,	O
2010	O
,	O
debuting	O
with	O
three	O
million	O
ebooks	O
,	O
making	O
it	O
"	O
the	O
largest	O
ebooks	O
collection	O
in	O
the	O
world	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
November	O
2011	O
,	O
Google	B-Application
announced	O
Google	B-Application
Music	I-Application
,	O
a	O
section	O
of	O
the	B-Application
Google	I-Application
Play	O
Store	O
offering	O
music	O
purchases	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
March	O
2012	O
,	O
Google	B-Application
increased	O
the	O
maximum	O
allowed	O
size	O
of	O
an	O
app	O
by	O
allowing	O
developers	O
to	O
attach	O
two	O
expansion	O
files	O
to	O
an	O
app	O
's	O
basic	O
download	O
;	O
each	O
expansion	O
file	O
with	O
a	O
maximum	O
size	O
of	O
2gigabytes	O
,	O
giving	O
app	O
developers	O
a	O
total	O
of	O
4gigabytes	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Also	O
in	O
March	O
2012	O
,	O
Android	B-Application
Market	I-Application
was	O
re-branded	O
as	O
Google	B-Application
Play	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-Application
Google	I-Application
Play	O
Store	O
,	O
including	O
all	O
Android	B-Application
apps	O
,	O
came	O
to	O
ChromeOS	B-Operating_System
in	O
September	O
2016	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
May	O
2021	O
,	O
Google	B-Application
Play	I-Application
announced	O
plans	O
to	O
implement	O
a	O
new	O
section	O
with	O
privacy	O
information	O
for	O
all	O
applications	O
in	O
its	O
storefront	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Google	B-Application
Play	I-Application
Music	I-Application
was	O
a	O
music	O
and	O
podcast	B-Operating_System
streaming	O
service	O
and	O
online	O
music	O
locker	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
features	O
over	O
40million	O
songs	O
,	O
and	O
gives	O
users	O
free	O
cloud	B-Application
storage	I-Application
of	O
up	O
to	O
50,000	O
songs	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
,	O
Google	B-Application
Play	I-Application
Music	I-Application
was	O
available	O
in	O
64	O
countries	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
June	O
2018	O
,	O
Google	B-Application
announced	O
plans	O
to	O
shut	O
down	O
Play	B-Application
Music	I-Application
by	O
2020	O
and	O
offered	O
users	O
to	O
migrate	O
to	O
YouTube	B-Application
Music	I-Application
,	O
migration	O
to	O
Google	B-Application
Podcasts	B-Operating_System
was	O
announced	O
in	O
May	O
2020	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
October	O
2020	O
,	O
the	O
music	O
store	O
for	O
Google	B-Application
Play	I-Application
Music	I-Application
was	O
shutdown	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Google	B-Application
Play	I-Application
Music	I-Application
was	O
shut	O
down	O
in	O
December	O
2020	O
and	O
was	O
replaced	O
by	O
YouTube	B-Application
Music	I-Application
and	O
Google	B-Application
Podcasts	B-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
Google	B-Application
Play	I-Application
Newsstand	I-Application
was	O
a	O
news	B-Application
aggregator	I-Application
and	O
digital	O
newsstand	O
service	O
offering	O
subscriptions	O
to	O
digital	O
magazines	O
and	O
topical	O
news	O
feeds	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Google	B-Application
released	O
Newsstand	O
in	O
November	O
2013	O
,	O
combining	O
the	O
features	O
of	O
Google	B-Application
Play	I-Application
Magazines	I-Application
and	O
Google	B-Application
Currents	I-Application
into	O
a	O
single	O
product	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
May	O
15	O
,	O
2018	O
,	O
the	O
mobile	B-Application
app	I-Application
merged	O
with	O
Google	B-Application
News	I-Application
&	I-Application
Weather	I-Application
to	O
form	O
Google	B-Application
News	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Newsstand	O
section	O
continued	O
to	O
appear	O
on	O
the	B-Application
Google	I-Application
Play	O
website	O
until	O
November	O
5	O
,	O
2018	O
,	O
but	O
now	O
is	O
only	O
available	O
through	O
the	B-Application
Google	I-Application
News	O
app	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Until	O
March	O
2015	O
,	O
Google	B-Application
Play	I-Application
had	O
a	O
"	O
Devices	O
"	O
section	O
for	O
users	O
to	O
purchase	O
Google	B-Device
Nexus	I-Device
devices	O
,	O
Chromebooks	B-Operating_System
,	O
Chromecasts	B-Device
,	O
other	O
Google-branded	O
hardware	O
,	O
and	O
accessories	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
separate	O
online	O
hardware	O
retailer	O
called	O
the	B-Application
Google	I-Application
Store	O
was	O
introduced	O
on	O
March	O
11	O
,	O
2015	O
,	O
replacing	O
the	O
Devices	O
section	O
of	O
Google	B-Application
Play	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
For	O
the	O
discoverability	O
of	O
apps	O
,	O
Google	B-Application
Play	I-Application
Store	I-Application
consists	O
of	O
lists	O
featuring	O
top	O
apps	O
in	O
each	O
category	O
,	O
including	O
"	O
Top	O
Free	O
"	O
,	O
a	O
list	O
of	O
the	O
most	O
popular	O
free	O
apps	O
of	O
all	O
time	O
;	O
"	O
Top	O
Paid	O
"	O
,	O
a	O
list	O
of	O
the	O
most	O
popular	O
paid	O
apps	O
of	O
all	O
time	O
;	O
"	O
Top	O
Grossing	O
"	O
,	O
a	O
list	O
of	O
apps	O
generating	O
the	O
highest	O
amounts	O
of	O
revenue	O
;	O
"	O
Trending	O
Apps	O
"	O
,	O
a	O
list	O
of	O
apps	O
with	O
recent	O
installation	O
growth	O
;	O
"	O
Top	O
New	O
Free	O
"	O
,	O
a	O
list	O
of	O
the	O
most	O
popular	O
new	O
free	O
apps	O
;	O
"	O
Top	O
New	O
Paid	O
"	O
,	O
a	O
list	O
of	O
the	O
most	O
popular	O
new	O
paid	O
apps	O
;	O
"	O
Featured	O
"	O
,	O
a	O
list	O
of	O
new	O
apps	O
selected	O
by	O
the	B-Application
Google	I-Application
Play	O
team	O
;	O
"	O
Staff	O
Picks	O
"	O
,	O
a	O
frequently-updated	O
list	O
of	O
apps	O
selected	O
by	O
the	B-Application
Google	I-Application
Play	O
team	O
;	O
"	O
Editors	O
 '	O
Choice	O
"	O
,	O
a	O
list	O
of	O
apps	O
considered	O
the	O
best	O
of	O
all	O
time	O
;	O
and	O
"	O
Top	O
Developer	O
"	O
,	O
a	O
list	O
of	O
apps	O
made	O
by	O
developers	O
considered	O
the	O
best	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
March	O
2017	O
,	O
Google	B-Application
added	O
a	O
"	O
Free	O
App	O
of	O
the	O
Week	O
"	O
section	O
,	O
offering	O
one	O
normally-paid	O
app	O
for	O
free	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
July	O
2017	O
,	O
Google	B-Application
expanded	O
its	O
"	O
Editors	O
 '	O
Choice	O
"	O
section	O
to	O
feature	O
curated	O
lists	O
of	O
apps	O
deemed	O
to	O
provide	O
good	O
Android	B-Application
experiences	O
within	O
overall	O
themes	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
fitness	O
,	O
video	O
calling	O
and	O
puzzle	O
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Google	B-Application
Play	I-Application
enables	O
users	O
to	O
know	O
the	O
popularity	O
of	O
apps	O
,	O
by	O
displaying	O
the	O
number	O
of	O
times	O
the	O
app	O
has	O
been	O
downloaded	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Users	O
can	O
submit	O
reviews	O
and	O
ratings	O
for	O
apps	O
and	O
digital	O
content	O
distributed	O
through	O
Google	B-Application
Play	I-Application
,	O
which	O
are	O
displayed	O
publicly	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
App	O
developers	O
can	O
respond	O
to	O
reviews	O
using	O
the	B-Application
Google	I-Application
Play	O
Developer	O
Console	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Google	B-Application
has	O
redesigned	O
Google	B-Application
Play	I-Application
's	O
interface	O
on	O
several	O
occasions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
February	O
2011	O
,	O
Google	B-Application
introduced	O
a	O
website	B-Application
interface	I-Application
for	O
the	O
then-named	O
Android	B-Application
Market	I-Application
that	O
provides	O
access	O
through	O
a	O
computer	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Applications	O
purchased	O
are	O
downloaded	O
and	O
installed	O
on	O
an	O
Android	B-Application
device	O
remotely	O
,	O
with	O
a	O
"	O
My	O
Market	O
Account	O
"	O
section	O
letting	O
users	O
give	O
their	O
devices	O
a	O
nickname	O
for	O
easy	O
recognition	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
May	O
2011	O
,	O
Google	B-Application
added	O
new	O
application	O
lists	O
to	O
Android	B-Application
Market	I-Application
,	O
including	O
"	O
Top	O
Paid	O
"	O
,	O
"	O
Top	O
Free	O
"	O
,	O
"	O
Editor	O
's	O
Choice	O
"	O
,	O
"	O
Top	O
Grossing	O
"	O
,	O
"	O
Top	O
Developers	O
"	O
,	O
and	O
"	O
Trending	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
July	O
,	O
Google	B-Application
introduced	O
an	O
interface	O
with	O
a	O
focus	O
on	O
featured	O
content	O
,	O
more	O
search	O
filters	O
,	O
and	O
(	O
in	O
the	O
US	O
)	O
book	O
sales	O
and	O
movie	O
rentals	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
May	O
2013	O
,	O
a	O
redesign	O
to	O
the	O
website	B-Application
interface	I-Application
matched	O
the	O
then-recently	O
redesigned	O
Android	B-Application
app	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
July	O
2014	O
,	O
the	B-Application
Google	I-Application
Play	O
Store	O
Android	B-Application
app	O
added	O
new	O
headers	O
to	O
the	O
Books/Movies	O
sections	O
,	O
a	O
new	O
Additional	O
Information	O
screen	O
offering	O
a	O
list	O
featuring	O
the	O
latest	O
available	O
app	O
version	O
,	O
installed	O
size	O
,	O
and	O
content	O
rating	O
,	O
and	O
simplified	O
the	O
app	O
permissions	O
prompt	O
into	O
overview	O
categories	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
few	O
days	O
later	O
,	O
it	O
got	O
a	O
redesign	O
consistent	O
with	O
the	O
then-new	O
Material	B-Application
Design	I-Application
design	O
language	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
app	O
was	O
again	O
updated	O
in	O
October	O
2015	O
to	O
feature	O
new	O
animations	O
,	O
divide	O
up	O
the	O
content	O
into	O
"	O
Apps	O
and	O
Games	O
"	O
and	O
"	O
Entertainment	O
"	O
sections	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
added	O
support	O
for	O
languages	O
read	O
right-to-left	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
April	O
2016	O
,	O
Google	B-Application
announced	O
a	O
redesign	O
of	O
all	O
the	O
icons	O
used	O
for	O
its	O
suite	O
of	O
Play	O
apps	O
,	O
adding	O
a	O
similar	O
style	O
and	O
consistent	O
look	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
May	O
2017	O
,	O
Google	B-Application
removed	O
the	O
shopping	O
bag	O
from	O
the	B-Application
Google	I-Application
Play	O
icon	O
,	O
with	O
only	O
the	O
triangle	O
and	O
associated	O
colors	O
remaining	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
March	O
2018	O
,	O
Google	B-Application
experimented	O
by	O
changing	O
the	O
format	O
of	O
the	O
screenshots	O
used	O
for	O
the	O
App	O
pages	O
from	O
the	O
WebP	O
format	O
to	O
PNG	O
but	O
reverted	O
the	O
change	O
after	O
it	O
caused	O
the	O
images	O
to	O
load	O
more	O
slowly	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
update	O
also	O
saw	O
small	O
UI	O
tweaks	O
to	O
the	B-Application
Google	I-Application
Play	O
Store	O
site	O
with	O
the	O
reviews	O
section	O
now	O
opening	O
to	O
a	O
dedicated	O
page	O
and	O
larger	O
images	O
in	O
the	O
light	O
box	O
viewer	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
July	O
2022	O
,	O
Google	B-Application
announced	O
a	O
new	O
logo	O
for	O
the	B-Application
Google	I-Application
Play	O
Store	O
that	O
is	O
more	O
uniform	O
in	O
color	O
with	O
other	O
Google	B-Application
services	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Launched	O
in	O
2017	O
,	O
Google	B-Application
Play	I-Application
Instant	O
,	O
also	O
known	O
as	O
Google	B-Application
Instant	O
Apps	O
,	O
allows	O
a	O
user	O
to	O
use	O
an	O
app	O
or	O
game	O
without	O
installing	O
it	O
first	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Google	B-Application
states	O
in	O
its	O
Developer	O
Policy	O
Center	O
that	O
"	O
Google	B-Application
Play	I-Application
supports	O
a	O
variety	O
of	O
monetization	O
strategies	O
to	O
benefit	O
developers	O
and	O
users	O
,	O
including	O
paid	O
distribution	O
,	O
in-app	O
products	O
,	O
subscriptions	O
,	O
and	O
ad-based	O
models	O
"	O
,	O
and	O
requires	O
developers	O
to	O
comply	O
with	O
the	O
policies	O
in	O
order	O
to	O
"	O
ensure	O
the	O
best	O
user	O
experience	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
requires	O
that	O
developers	O
charging	O
for	O
apps	O
and	O
downloads	O
through	O
Google	B-Application
Play	I-Application
must	O
use	O
Google	B-Application
Play	I-Application
's	O
payment	O
system	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In-app	O
purchases	O
unlocking	O
additional	O
app	O
functionality	O
must	O
also	O
use	O
the	B-Application
Google	I-Application
Play	O
payment	O
system	O
,	O
except	O
in	O
cases	O
where	O
the	O
purchase	O
"	O
is	O
solely	O
for	O
physical	O
products	O
"	O
or	O
"	O
is	O
for	O
digital	O
content	O
that	O
may	O
be	O
consumed	O
outside	O
of	O
the	O
app	O
itself	O
(	O
e.g.	O
</s>
<s>
All	O
developers	O
on	O
Google	B-Application
Play	I-Application
are	O
required	O
to	O
feature	O
a	O
physical	O
address	O
on	O
the	O
app	O
's	O
page	O
in	O
Google	B-Application
Play	I-Application
,	O
a	O
requirement	O
established	O
in	O
September	O
2014	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
February	O
2017	O
,	O
Google	B-Application
announced	O
that	O
it	O
would	O
let	O
developers	O
set	O
sales	O
for	O
their	O
apps	O
,	O
with	O
the	O
original	O
price	O
struck	O
out	O
and	O
a	O
banner	O
underneath	O
informing	O
users	O
when	O
the	O
sale	O
ends	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Google	B-Application
also	O
announced	O
that	O
it	O
had	O
made	O
changes	O
to	O
its	O
algorithms	O
to	O
promote	O
games	O
based	O
on	O
user	O
engagement	O
and	O
not	O
just	O
downloads	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Finally	O
,	O
it	O
announced	O
new	O
editorial	O
pages	O
for	O
what	O
it	O
considers	O
"	O
optimal	O
gaming	O
experiences	O
on	O
Android	B-Application
"	O
,	O
further	O
promoting	O
and	O
curating	O
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Google	B-Application
allows	O
users	O
to	O
purchase	O
content	O
with	O
credit	O
or	O
debit	O
cards	O
,	O
carrier	O
billing	O
,	O
gift	O
cards	O
,	O
or	O
through	O
PayPal	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Google	B-Application
began	O
rolling	O
out	O
carrier	O
billing	O
for	O
purchases	O
in	O
May	O
2012	O
,	O
followed	O
by	O
support	O
for	O
PayPal	O
in	O
May	O
2014	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
rumor	O
of	O
Google	B-Application
Play	I-Application
gift	O
cards	O
started	O
circulating	O
online	O
in	O
August	O
2012	O
after	O
references	O
to	O
it	O
were	O
discovered	O
by	O
Android	B-Application
Police	O
in	O
the	O
3.8.15	O
version	O
update	O
of	O
the	B-Application
Google	B-Application
Play	I-Application
Store	O
Android	B-Application
app	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Soon	O
after	O
,	O
images	O
of	O
the	O
gift	O
cards	O
started	O
to	O
leak	O
,	O
and	O
on	O
August	O
21	O
,	O
2012	O
,	O
they	O
were	O
made	O
official	O
by	O
Google	B-Application
and	O
rolled	O
out	O
over	O
the	O
next	O
few	O
weeks	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
of	O
April	O
2023	O
Google	B-Application
Play	I-Application
gift	O
cards	O
are	O
available	O
in	O
the	O
following	O
countries	O
:	O
Australia	O
,	O
Austria	O
,	O
Belgium	O
,	O
Brazil	O
,	O
Canada	O
,	O
Finland	O
,	O
France	O
,	O
Germany	O
,	O
Greece	O
,	O
Hong	O
Kong	O
,	O
India	O
,	O
Indonesia	O
,	O
Ireland	O
,	O
Italy	O
,	O
Japan	O
,	O
Malaysia	O
,	O
Mexico	O
,	O
Netherlands	O
,	O
New	O
Zealand	O
,	O
Poland	O
,	O
Portugal	O
,	O
Saudi	O
Arabia	O
,	O
South	O
Africa	O
,	O
South	O
Korea	O
,	O
Spain	O
,	O
Switzerland	O
,	O
Turkey	O
,	O
the	O
United	O
Arab	O
Emirates	O
,	O
the	O
United	O
Kingdom	O
and	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Google	B-Application
introduced	O
in-app	O
subscriptions	O
to	O
Google	B-Application
Play	I-Application
in	O
May	O
2012	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
June	O
2016	O
,	O
some	O
sources	O
reported	O
that	O
Google	B-Application
announced	O
that	O
subscriptions	O
charged	O
through	O
Google	B-Application
Play	I-Application
would	O
now	O
split	O
the	O
revenue	O
85/15	O
,	O
where	O
developers	O
receive	O
85%	O
of	O
revenue	O
and	O
Google	B-Application
takes	O
15%	O
,	O
a	O
change	O
from	O
the	O
traditional	O
70/30	O
split	O
in	O
years	O
prior	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
move	O
followed	O
Apple	O
's	O
then-recently	O
announced	O
change	O
of	O
the	O
same	O
model	O
,	O
although	O
commentators	O
were	O
quick	O
to	O
point	O
out	O
that	O
while	O
Apple	O
grants	O
the	O
85/15	O
revenue	O
share	O
after	O
one	O
year	O
of	O
active	O
subscriptions	O
,	O
Google	B-Application
's	I-Application
subscription	O
change	O
takes	O
effect	O
immediately	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
of	O
January	O
1	O
,	O
2018	O
,	O
the	O
transaction	O
fee	O
for	O
subscription	O
products	O
decreased	O
to	O
15%	O
for	O
any	O
subscribers	O
developers	O
retain	O
after	O
12	O
paid	O
months	O
,	O
establishing	O
that	O
,	O
unlike	O
what	O
sources	O
were	O
reporting	O
,	O
Google	B-Application
is	O
using	O
the	O
same	O
model	O
as	O
Apple	O
with	O
in-app	O
subscriptions	O
on	O
the	O
App	B-Application
Store	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Google	B-Application
Play	I-Application
Store	I-Application
,	O
shortened	O
to	O
Play	O
Store	O
on	O
the	O
Home	O
screen	O
and	O
App	O
screen	O
,	O
is	O
Google	B-Application
's	I-Application
official	O
pre-installed	O
app	B-Application
store	I-Application
on	O
Android-certified	O
devices	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
provides	O
access	O
to	O
content	O
on	O
Google	B-Application
Play	I-Application
,	O
including	O
apps	O
,	O
books	O
,	O
magazines	O
,	O
music	O
,	O
movies	O
,	O
and	O
television	O
programs	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Devices	O
do	O
not	O
ship	O
with	O
the	B-Application
Google	I-Application
Play	O
Store	O
in	O
China	O
,	O
with	O
manufacturers	O
offering	O
their	O
own	O
alternative	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Google	B-Application
Play	I-Application
Store	I-Application
filters	O
the	O
list	O
of	O
apps	O
to	O
those	O
compatible	O
with	O
the	O
user	O
's	O
device	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Developers	O
can	O
target	O
specific	O
hardware	O
components	O
(	O
such	O
as	O
compass	B-Language
)	O
,	O
software	O
components	O
(	O
such	O
as	O
widget	B-Application
)	O
,	O
and	O
Android	B-Application
versions	O
(	O
such	O
as	O
7.0	B-Application
Nougat	I-Application
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
There	O
is	O
no	O
requirement	O
that	O
Android	B-Application
applications	I-Application
be	O
acquired	O
using	O
the	B-Application
Google	I-Application
Play	O
Store	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Users	O
may	O
download	O
Android	B-Application
applications	I-Application
from	O
a	O
developer	O
's	O
website	O
or	O
through	O
a	O
third-party	O
app	B-Application
store	I-Application
alternative	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Google	B-Application
Play	I-Application
Store	I-Application
applications	O
are	O
self-contained	O
Android	B-Application
Package	I-Application
files	I-Application
(	O
APK	B-Application
)	O
,	O
similar	O
to	O
.exe	B-Application
files	O
to	O
install	O
programs	O
on	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Windows	I-Application
computers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
Android	B-Application
devices	O
,	O
an	O
"	O
Unknown	O
sources	O
"	O
feature	O
in	O
Settings	O
allows	O
users	O
to	O
bypass	O
the	B-Application
Google	I-Application
Play	O
Store	O
and	O
install	O
APKs	B-Application
from	O
other	O
sources	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Depending	O
on	O
developer	O
preferences	O
,	O
some	O
apps	O
can	O
be	O
installed	O
to	O
a	O
phone	O
's	O
external	B-Device
storage	I-Device
card	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-Application
Google	I-Application
Play	O
Store	O
app	O
features	O
a	O
history	O
of	O
all	O
installed	O
apps	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Users	O
can	O
remove	O
apps	O
from	O
the	O
list	O
,	O
with	O
the	O
changes	O
also	O
synchronizing	O
to	O
the	B-Application
Google	I-Application
Play	O
website	B-Application
interface	I-Application
,	O
where	O
the	O
option	O
to	O
remove	O
apps	O
from	O
the	O
history	O
does	O
not	O
exist	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Google	B-Application
publishes	O
the	O
source	O
code	O
for	O
Android	B-Application
through	O
its	O
"	O
Android	B-Application
Open	O
Source	O
Project	O
"	O
,	O
allowing	O
enthusiasts	O
and	O
developers	O
to	O
program	O
and	O
distribute	O
their	O
own	O
modified	O
versions	O
of	O
the	O
operating	O
system	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
not	O
all	O
these	O
modified	O
versions	O
are	O
compatible	O
with	O
apps	O
developed	O
for	O
Google	B-Application
's	I-Application
official	O
Android	B-Application
versions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
"	O
Android	B-Application
Compatibility	O
Program	O
"	O
serves	O
to	O
"	O
define	O
a	O
baseline	O
implementation	O
of	O
Android	B-Application
that	O
is	O
compatible	O
with	O
third-party	O
apps	O
written	O
by	O
developers	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Only	O
Android	B-Application
devices	O
that	O
comply	O
with	O
Google	B-Application
's	I-Application
compatibility	O
requirements	O
may	O
install	O
and	O
access	O
the	B-Application
Google	I-Application
Play	O
Store	O
application	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
stated	O
in	O
a	O
help	O
page	O
for	O
the	O
Android	B-Application
Open	O
Source	O
Project	O
,	O
"	O
Devices	O
that	O
are	O
"	O
Android	B-Application
compatible	O
"	O
may	O
participate	O
in	O
the	O
Android	B-Application
ecosystem	O
,	O
including	O
Android	B-Application
Market	I-Application
;	O
devices	O
that	O
do	O
n't	O
meet	O
the	O
compatibility	O
requirements	O
exist	O
outside	O
that	O
ecosystem	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
other	O
words	O
,	O
the	O
Android	B-Application
Compatibility	O
Program	O
is	O
how	O
we	O
separate	O
"	O
Android	B-Application
compatible	O
devices	O
"	O
from	O
devices	O
that	O
merely	O
run	O
derivatives	O
of	O
the	O
source	O
code	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
We	O
welcome	O
all	O
uses	O
of	O
the	O
Android	B-Application
source	O
code	O
,	O
but	O
only	O
Android	B-Application
compatible	O
devices	O
—	O
as	O
defined	O
and	O
tested	O
by	O
the	O
Android	B-Application
Compatibility	O
Program	O
—	O
may	O
participate	O
in	O
the	O
Android	B-Application
ecosystem.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Since	O
August	O
2019	O
,	O
all	O
new	O
and	O
updated	O
Google	B-Application
Play	I-Application
apps	O
must	O
have	O
64-bit	B-Device
binaries	O
,	O
with	O
some	O
exceptions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Since	O
August	O
2021	O
,	O
Google	B-Application
Play	I-Application
will	O
not	O
serve	O
apps	O
that	O
only	O
have	O
32-bit	O
binaries	O
to	O
devices	O
compatible	O
with	O
64-bit	B-Device
apps	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
requirement	O
does	O
not	O
apply	O
to	O
Android	B-Application
TV	I-Application
or	O
Wear	B-Application
OS	I-Application
apps	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2012	O
,	O
Google	B-Application
began	O
decoupling	O
certain	O
aspects	O
of	O
its	O
Android	B-Application
operating	I-Application
system	I-Application
(	O
particularly	O
its	O
core	O
applications	O
)	O
so	O
they	O
could	O
be	O
updated	O
through	O
the	B-Application
Google	I-Application
Play	O
store	O
independently	O
of	O
the	O
OS	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
One	O
of	O
those	O
components	O
,	O
Google	B-Application
Play	I-Application
Services	I-Application
,	O
is	O
a	O
closed-source	B-Application
system-level	O
process	O
providing	O
APIs	B-Application
for	O
Google	B-Application
services	O
,	O
installed	O
automatically	O
on	O
nearly	O
all	O
devices	O
running	O
Android	B-Application
2.2	I-Application
"	I-Application
Froyo	I-Application
"	I-Application
and	O
higher	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
With	O
these	O
changes	O
,	O
Google	B-Application
can	O
add	O
new	O
system	O
functionality	O
through	O
Play	O
Services	O
and	O
update	O
apps	O
without	O
having	O
to	O
distribute	O
an	O
upgrade	O
to	O
the	O
operating	O
system	O
itself	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
a	O
result	O
,	O
Android	B-Application
4.2	I-Application
and	I-Application
4.3	I-Application
"	I-Application
Jelly	I-Application
Bean	I-Application
"	I-Application
contained	O
relatively	O
fewer	O
user-facing	O
changes	O
,	O
focusing	O
more	O
on	O
minor	O
changes	O
and	O
platform	O
improvements	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
April	O
2016	O
,	O
Google	B-Application
announced	O
the	B-Application
Google	I-Application
Play	O
Awards	O
,	O
described	O
as	O
"	O
a	O
way	O
to	O
recognize	O
our	O
incredible	O
developer	O
community	O
and	O
highlight	O
some	O
of	O
the	O
best	O
apps	O
and	O
games	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
awards	O
showcase	O
five	O
nominees	O
across	O
ten	O
award	O
categories	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
apps	O
are	O
featured	O
in	O
a	O
dedicated	O
section	O
of	O
Google	B-Application
Play	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Google	B-Application
stated	O
that	O
"	O
Nominees	O
were	O
selected	O
by	O
a	O
panel	O
of	O
experts	O
on	O
the	B-Application
Google	I-Application
Play	O
team	O
based	O
on	O
criteria	O
emphasizing	O
app	O
quality	O
,	O
innovation	O
,	O
and	O
having	O
a	O
launch	O
or	O
major	O
update	O
in	O
the	O
last	O
12	O
months	O
"	O
,	O
with	O
the	O
winners	O
announced	O
in	O
May	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Google	B-Application
has	O
also	O
previously	O
released	O
yearly	O
lists	O
of	O
apps	O
it	O
deemed	O
the	O
"	O
best	O
"	O
on	O
Google	B-Application
Play	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
March	O
6	O
,	O
2017	O
,	O
five	O
years	O
after	O
Google	B-Application
Play	I-Application
's	O
launch	O
,	O
Google	B-Application
released	O
lists	O
of	O
the	O
best-selling	O
apps	O
,	O
games	O
,	O
movies	O
,	O
music	O
,	O
and	O
books	O
over	O
the	O
past	O
five	O
years	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
June	O
2017	O
,	O
Google	B-Application
introduced	O
"	O
Android	B-Application
Excellence	O
"	O
,	O
a	O
new	O
editorial	O
program	O
to	O
highlight	O
the	O
apps	O
deemed	O
the	O
highest	O
quality	O
by	O
the	B-Application
Google	I-Application
Play	O
editors	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2020	O
,	O
Google	B-Application
Play	I-Application
awarded	O
Disney+	B-Application
as	O
the	O
top	O
app	O
of	O
the	O
year	O
for	O
users	O
in	O
the	O
US	O
,	O
and	O
SpongeBob	O
:	O
Krusty	O
Cook-Off	O
taking	O
the	O
honors	O
in	O
the	O
gaming	O
category	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Google	B-Application
places	O
some	O
restrictions	O
on	O
the	O
types	O
of	O
apps	O
that	O
can	O
be	O
published	O
,	O
in	O
particular	O
not	O
allowing	O
sexually	O
explicit	O
content	O
,	O
child	O
endangerment	O
,	O
violence	O
,	O
bullying	O
&	O
harassment	O
,	O
hate	O
speech	O
,	O
gambling	O
,	O
illegal	O
activities	O
,	O
and	O
requiring	O
precautions	O
for	O
user-generated	O
content	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
March	O
2015	O
,	O
Google	B-Application
disclosed	O
that	O
over	O
the	O
past	O
few	O
months	O
,	O
it	O
had	O
been	O
begun	O
using	O
a	O
combination	O
of	O
automated	O
tools	O
and	O
human	O
reviewers	O
to	O
check	O
apps	O
for	O
malware	O
and	O
terms	O
of	O
service	O
violations	O
before	O
they	O
are	O
published	O
in	O
the	B-Application
Google	I-Application
Play	O
Store	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
October	O
2016	O
,	O
Google	B-Application
announced	O
a	O
new	O
detection	O
and	O
filtering	O
system	O
designed	O
to	O
provide	O
"	O
additional	O
enhancements	O
to	O
protect	O
the	O
integrity	O
of	O
the	O
store	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
April	O
2019	O
,	O
Google	B-Application
announced	O
changes	O
to	O
the	O
store	O
's	O
app	O
review	O
process	O
,	O
stating	O
that	O
it	O
would	O
take	O
several	O
days	O
to	O
review	O
app	O
submissions	O
from	O
new	O
and	O
less-established	O
developers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Google	B-Application
released	O
a	O
statement	O
:	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
April	O
2011	O
,	O
Google	B-Application
removed	O
the	O
Grooveshark	O
app	O
from	O
the	O
store	O
due	O
to	O
unspecified	O
policy	O
violations	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
TechCrunch	O
wrote	O
approximately	O
two	O
weeks	O
later	O
that	O
Grooveshark	O
had	O
returned	O
to	O
Android	B-Application
,	O
"	O
albeit	O
not	O
through	O
the	O
official	O
App	O
Market	O
"	O
,	O
but	O
rather	O
"	O
Playing	O
on	O
Android	B-Application
's	O
ability	O
to	O
install	O
third-party	O
applications	O
through	O
the	O
browser	B-Application
,	O
Grooveshark	O
has	O
taken	O
on	O
the	O
responsibility	O
of	O
distributing	O
the	O
application	O
themselves	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
May	O
2011	O
,	O
Google	B-Application
banned	O
the	O
account	O
of	O
the	O
developer	O
of	O
several	O
video	O
game	O
emulators	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Neither	O
Google	B-Application
nor	O
the	O
developer	O
publicly	O
revealed	O
the	O
reason	O
for	O
the	O
ban	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
March	O
2013	O
,	O
Google	B-Application
began	O
to	O
pull	O
ad	O
blocking	O
apps	O
from	O
the	B-Application
Google	I-Application
Play	O
Store	O
,	O
per	O
section	O
4.4	O
of	O
the	O
developers	O
 '	O
agreement	O
,	O
which	O
prohibits	O
apps	O
that	O
interfere	O
with	O
servers	O
and	O
services	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Apps	O
that	O
exempt	O
themselves	O
from	O
power	O
management	O
policies	O
introduced	O
on	O
Android	B-Application
Marshmallow	I-Application
without	O
being	O
"	O
adversely	O
affected	O
"	O
by	O
them	O
,	O
are	O
banned	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
July	O
2018	O
,	O
Google	B-Application
banned	O
additional	O
categories	O
of	O
apps	O
,	O
including	O
those	O
that	O
perform	O
cryptocurrency	O
mining	O
on-device	O
,	O
apps	O
that	O
"	O
facilitate	O
the	O
sale	O
of	O
explosives	O
,	O
firearms	O
,	O
ammunition	O
,	O
or	O
certain	O
firearms	O
accessories	O
"	O
,	O
are	O
only	O
used	O
to	O
present	O
ads	O
,	O
contain	O
adult	O
content	O
but	O
are	O
aimed	O
towards	O
children	O
,	O
"	O
multiple	O
apps	O
with	O
highly	O
similar	O
content	O
and	O
user	O
experience	O
,	O
"	O
and	O
"	O
apps	O
that	O
are	O
created	O
by	O
an	O
automated	O
tool	O
,	O
wizard	O
service	O
,	O
or	O
based	O
on	O
templates	O
and	O
submitted	O
to	O
Google	B-Application
Play	I-Application
by	O
the	O
operator	O
of	O
that	O
service	O
on	O
behalf	O
of	O
other	O
persons.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
February	O
2012	O
,	O
Google	B-Application
introduced	O
a	O
new	O
automated	O
antivirus	B-Application
system	O
,	O
called	O
Google	B-Application
Bouncer	O
,	O
to	O
scan	O
both	O
new	O
and	O
existing	O
apps	O
for	O
malware	O
(	O
e	O
.	O
g	O
.	O
spyware	O
or	O
trojan	O
horses	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2017	O
,	O
the	O
Bouncer	O
feature	O
and	O
other	O
safety	O
measures	O
within	O
the	O
Android	B-Application
platform	I-Application
were	O
rebranded	O
under	O
the	O
umbrella	O
name	O
Google	B-Application
Play	I-Application
Protect	O
,	O
a	O
system	O
that	O
regularly	O
scans	O
apps	O
for	O
threats	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Android	B-Application
apps	O
can	O
ask	O
for	O
or	O
require	O
certain	O
permissions	O
on	O
the	O
device	O
,	O
including	O
access	O
to	O
body	O
sensors	O
,	O
calendar	O
,	O
camera	O
,	O
contacts	O
,	O
location	O
,	O
microphone	O
,	O
phone	O
,	O
SMS	O
,	O
storage	O
,	O
WI-FI	O
,	O
and	O
access	O
to	O
Google	B-Application
accounts	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
July	O
2017	O
,	O
Google	B-Application
described	O
a	O
new	O
security	O
effort	O
called	O
"	O
peer	O
grouping	O
"	O
,	O
in	O
which	O
apps	O
performing	O
similar	O
functionalities	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
calculator	O
apps	O
,	O
are	O
grouped	O
together	O
and	O
attributes	O
compared	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
If	O
one	O
app	O
stands	O
out	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
requesting	O
more	O
device	O
permissions	O
than	O
others	O
in	O
the	O
same	O
group	O
,	O
Google	B-Application
's	I-Application
systems	O
automatically	O
flag	O
the	O
app	O
and	O
security	O
engineers	O
take	O
a	O
closer	O
inspection	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
early	O
March	O
2011	O
,	O
DroidDream	O
,	O
a	O
trojan	O
rootkit	O
exploit	O
,	O
was	O
released	O
to	O
the	O
then-named	O
Android	B-Application
Market	I-Application
in	O
the	O
form	O
of	O
several	O
free	O
applications	O
that	O
were	O
,	O
in	O
many	O
cases	O
,	O
pirated	O
versions	O
of	O
existing	O
priced	O
apps	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
exploit	O
only	O
affected	O
devices	O
running	O
Android	B-Application
versions	O
earlier	O
than	O
2.3	O
"	O
Gingerbread	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Google	B-Application
removed	O
the	O
apps	O
from	O
the	O
Market	O
immediately	O
after	O
being	O
alerted	O
,	O
but	O
the	O
apps	O
had	O
already	O
been	O
downloaded	O
more	O
than	O
50,000	O
times	O
,	O
according	O
to	O
Android	B-Application
Polices	O
estimate	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Android	B-Application
Police	O
wrote	O
that	O
the	O
only	O
method	O
of	O
removing	O
the	O
exploit	O
from	O
an	O
infected	O
device	O
was	O
to	O
reset	O
it	O
to	O
a	O
factory	O
state	O
,	O
although	O
community-developed	O
solutions	O
for	O
blocking	O
some	O
aspects	O
of	O
the	O
exploit	O
were	O
created	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
few	O
days	O
later	O
,	O
Google	B-Application
confirmed	O
that	O
58	O
malicious	O
apps	O
had	O
been	O
uploaded	O
to	O
Android	B-Application
Market	I-Application
,	O
and	O
had	O
been	O
downloaded	O
to	O
260,000	O
devices	O
before	O
being	O
removed	O
from	O
the	O
store	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Google	B-Application
emailed	O
affected	O
users	O
with	O
information	O
that	O
"	O
As	O
far	O
as	O
we	O
can	O
determine	O
,	O
the	O
only	O
information	O
obtained	O
was	O
device-specific	O
(	O
IMEI/IMSI	O
,	O
unique	O
codes	O
which	O
are	O
used	O
to	O
identify	O
mobile	O
devices	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
version	O
of	O
Android	B-Application
running	O
on	O
your	O
device	O
)	O
"	O
as	O
opposed	O
to	O
personal	O
data	O
and	O
account	O
information	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
also	O
announced	O
the	O
then-new	O
"	O
remote	O
kill	O
"	O
functionality	O
,	O
alongside	O
a	O
security	O
update	O
,	O
that	O
lets	O
Google	B-Application
remotely	O
remove	O
malicious	O
apps	O
from	O
users	O
 '	O
devices	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
application	O
used	O
a	O
JavaScript	B-Language
exploit	O
to	O
steal	O
contacts	O
,	O
SMS	O
messages	O
,	O
and	O
photos	O
,	O
and	O
was	O
also	O
capable	O
of	O
making	O
the	O
phone	O
open	O
arbitrary	O
web	B-Application
pages	O
or	O
launch	O
denial-of-service	O
attacks	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
app	O
stayed	O
on	O
Google	B-Application
Play	I-Application
for	O
more	O
than	O
two	O
weeks	O
,	O
being	O
repeatedly	O
scanned	O
by	O
the	O
Bouncer	O
system	O
without	O
detection	O
,	O
with	O
Percoco	O
further	O
saying	O
that	O
"	O
As	O
an	O
attack	O
,	O
all	O
a	O
malware	O
attacker	O
has	O
to	O
do	O
to	O
get	O
into	O
Google	B-Application
Play	I-Application
is	O
to	O
bypass	O
Bouncer	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Trustwave	O
reached	O
out	O
to	O
Google	B-Application
to	O
share	O
their	O
findings	O
,	O
but	O
noted	O
that	O
more	O
manual	O
testing	O
of	O
apps	O
might	O
be	O
necessary	O
to	O
detect	O
apps	O
using	O
malware-masking	O
techniques	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
a	O
2014	O
research	O
study	O
released	O
by	O
RiskIQ	O
,	O
a	O
security	O
services	O
company	O
,	O
malicious	O
apps	O
introduced	O
through	O
Google	B-Application
Play	I-Application
increased	O
388%	O
between	O
2011	O
and	O
2013	O
,	O
while	O
the	O
number	O
of	O
apps	O
removed	O
by	O
Google	B-Application
dropped	O
from	O
60%	O
in	O
2011	O
to	O
23%	O
in	O
2013	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
study	O
further	O
revealed	O
that	O
"	O
Apps	O
for	O
personalizing	O
Android	B-Application
phones	I-Application
led	O
all	O
categories	O
as	O
most	O
likely	O
to	O
be	O
malicious	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
PC	O
World	O
,	O
"	O
Google	B-Application
said	O
it	O
would	O
need	O
more	O
information	O
about	O
RiskIQ	O
's	O
analysis	O
to	O
comment	O
on	O
the	O
findings.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
October	O
2016	O
,	O
Engadget	B-Application
reported	O
about	O
a	O
blog	O
post	O
named	O
"	O
Password	O
Storage	O
in	O
Sensitive	O
Apps	O
"	O
from	O
freelance	O
Android	B-Application
hacker	O
Jon	O
Sawyer	O
,	O
who	O
decided	O
to	O
test	O
the	O
top	O
privacy	O
apps	O
on	O
Google	B-Application
Play	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
April	O
2017	O
,	O
security	O
firm	O
Check	O
Point	O
announced	O
that	O
a	O
malware	O
named	O
"	O
FalseGuide	O
"	O
had	O
been	O
hidden	O
inside	O
approximately	O
40	O
"	O
game	O
guide	O
"	O
apps	O
in	O
Google	B-Application
Play	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
malware	O
,	O
a	O
type	O
of	O
botnet	B-Architecture
,	O
is	O
also	O
capable	O
of	O
launching	O
DDoS	O
attacks	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
being	O
alerted	O
to	O
the	O
malware	O
,	O
Google	B-Application
removed	O
all	O
instances	O
of	O
it	O
in	O
the	O
store	O
,	O
but	O
by	O
that	O
time	O
,	O
approximately	O
two	O
million	O
Android	B-Application
users	O
had	O
already	O
downloaded	O
the	O
apps	O
,	O
the	O
oldest	O
of	O
which	O
had	O
been	O
around	O
since	O
November	O
2016	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Google	B-Application
removed	O
some	O
of	O
the	O
apps	O
after	O
receiving	O
reports	O
from	O
Sophos	O
,	O
but	O
some	O
apps	O
remained	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
When	O
asked	O
for	O
comment	O
,	O
Google	B-Application
did	O
n't	O
respond	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
August	O
2017	O
,	O
500	O
apps	O
were	O
removed	O
from	O
Google	B-Application
Play	I-Application
after	O
security	O
firm	O
Lookout	O
discovered	O
that	O
the	O
apps	O
contained	O
an	O
SDK	B-Application
that	O
allowed	O
for	O
malicious	O
advertising	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
all	O
of	O
2017	O
,	O
over	O
700,000	O
apps	O
were	O
banned	O
from	O
Google	B-Application
Play	I-Application
due	O
to	O
abusive	O
contents	O
;	O
this	O
is	O
a	O
70%	O
increase	O
over	O
the	O
number	O
of	O
apps	O
banned	O
in	O
2016	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
program	O
,	O
called	O
Tekya	O
,	O
was	O
designed	O
to	O
evade	O
detection	O
by	O
Google	B-Application
Play	I-Application
Protect	O
and	O
VirusTotal	B-Application
and	O
then	O
fraudulently	O
click	O
on	O
ads	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Web	B-Application
discovered	O
at	O
least	O
six	O
apps	O
with	O
700,000	O
total	O
downloads	O
containing	O
at	O
least	O
18	O
modifications	O
program	O
called	O
Android.Circle.1	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
addition	O
to	O
performing	O
click	O
fraud	O
,	O
Android.Circle.1	O
can	O
also	O
operate	O
as	O
adware	O
and	O
perform	O
phishing	O
attacks	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Web	B-Application
discovered	O
malicious	O
apps	O
on	O
Google	B-Application
Play	I-Application
that	O
steal	O
Facebook	O
users	O
 '	O
logins	O
and	O
passwords	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Their	O
specialists	O
uncovered	O
9	O
trojans	O
that	O
were	O
available	O
on	O
Google	B-Application
Play	I-Application
Store	I-Application
with	O
over	O
5.8	O
million	O
installs	O
among	O
them	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
apps	O
tricked	O
victims	O
into	O
logging	O
into	O
their	O
Facebook	O
accounts	O
and	O
hijacked	O
the	O
credentials	O
via	O
JavaScript	B-Language
code	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Google	B-Application
removed	O
these	O
apps	O
later	O
on	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
September	O
29	O
,	O
2021	O
,	O
Zimperium	O
zLabs	O
recently	O
discovered	O
a	O
large-scale	O
malware	O
campaign	O
has	O
infected	O
more	O
than	O
10	O
million	O
Android	B-Application
devices	O
from	O
over	O
70	O
countries	O
and	O
likely	O
stole	O
hundreds	O
of	O
millions	O
from	O
its	O
victims	O
by	O
subscribing	O
to	O
paid	O
services	O
without	O
their	O
knowledge	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
malware	O
was	O
delivered	O
using	O
over	O
200	O
trojanized	O
Android	B-Application
applications	I-Application
delivered	O
through	O
Google	B-Application
's	I-Application
official	O
Play	O
Store	O
and	O
third-party	O
app	B-Application
stores	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Google	B-Application
has	O
removed	O
the	O
apps	O
after	O
being	O
notified	O
of	O
their	O
malicious	O
nature	O
but	O
this	O
malware	O
are	O
still	O
available	O
for	O
download	O
on	O
third-party	O
repositories	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
November	O
30	O
,	O
2021	O
,	O
ThreatFabric	O
,	O
researchers	O
explain	O
how	O
they	O
discovered	O
four	O
different	O
malware	O
dropper	O
campaigns	O
distributing	O
banking	O
trojans	O
on	O
the	B-Application
Google	I-Application
Play	O
Store	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
evolution	O
includes	O
creating	O
small	O
realistic-looking	O
apps	O
that	O
focus	O
on	O
common	O
themes	O
such	O
as	O
fitness	O
,	O
cryptocurrency	O
,	O
QR	O
codes	O
,	O
and	O
PDF	B-Application
scanning	O
to	O
trick	O
users	O
into	O
installing	O
the	O
app	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
When	O
ready	O
to	O
distribute	O
the	O
banking	O
trojan	O
,	O
the	O
threat	O
actor	O
's	O
server	O
will	O
tell	O
the	O
installed	O
app	O
to	O
perform	O
a	O
fake	O
"	O
update	O
"	O
that	O
"	O
drops	O
"	O
and	O
launches	O
the	O
malware	O
on	O
the	O
Android	B-Application
device	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
developers	O
publishing	O
on	O
Google	B-Application
Play	I-Application
have	O
been	O
sued	O
for	O
patent	O
infringement	O
by	O
"	O
patent	O
trolls	O
"	O
,	O
people	O
who	O
own	O
broad	O
or	O
vaguely	O
worded	O
patents	O
that	O
they	O
use	O
to	O
target	O
small	O
developers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
February	O
2013	O
,	O
Austin	O
Meyer	O
,	O
a	O
flight	O
simulator	O
game	O
developer	O
,	O
was	O
sued	O
for	O
having	O
used	O
a	O
copy-protection	O
system	O
in	O
his	O
app	O
,	O
a	O
system	O
that	O
he	O
said	O
"	O
Google	B-Application
gave	O
us	O
!	O
</s>
<s>
And	O
,	O
of	O
course	O
,	O
this	O
is	O
what	O
Google	B-Application
provides	O
to	O
everyone	O
else	O
that	O
is	O
making	O
a	O
game	O
for	O
Android	B-Application
!	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Meyer	O
claimed	O
that	O
Google	B-Application
would	O
not	O
assist	O
in	O
the	O
lawsuit	O
,	O
and	O
he	O
stated	O
that	O
he	O
would	O
not	O
settle	O
the	O
case	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
His	O
battle	O
with	O
the	O
troll	O
continued	O
for	O
several	O
years	O
,	O
uploading	O
a	O
video	O
in	O
June	O
2016	O
discussing	O
that	O
he	O
was	O
then	O
being	O
sued	O
for	O
uploading	O
his	O
app	O
to	O
Google	B-Application
Play	I-Application
,	O
because	O
"	O
the	O
patent	O
troll	O
apparently	O
owns	O
the	O
of	O
the	B-Application
Google	B-Application
Play	I-Application
Store	O
itself	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Android	B-Application
Authority	O
wrote	O
that	O
"	O
This	O
scenario	O
has	O
played	O
out	O
against	O
many	O
other	O
app	O
developers	O
for	O
many	O
years	O
"	O
,	O
and	O
have	O
prompted	O
discussions	O
over	O
"	O
a	O
larger	O
issue	O
at	O
stake	O
"	O
,	O
in	O
which	O
developers	O
stop	O
making	O
apps	O
out	O
of	O
fear	O
of	O
patent	O
problems	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
outside	O
the	O
countries/regions	O
listed	O
below	O
only	O
have	O
access	O
to	O
free	O
apps	O
and	O
games	O
through	O
Google	B-Application
Play	I-Application
.	O
</s>
