Andy Walker / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Google appears to be widely rolling out a UI change for the Play Store.
- The update is limited to the Games and Apps tabs.
- Some users are also seeing a new design for Play Points and notification badges.
The next time you open up the Google Play Store, it might look a little different from what you remember. Two major sections of the marketplace have been given a new look. And it appears that the redesign is starting to roll out widely.
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The update only affects the Games and Apps tabs, as the Books tab still features the old UI. Speaking of the old UI, you can see an example in the two screenshots below. At the top, you’ll find tabs for For you, Top charts, Kids, and Categories. There’s also a tab for Premium in the Games section. Below that is the header area featuring a carousel of apps, followed by a list of apps under that.
In this redesign, you’ll notice that the tabs are now all in pill-shaped containers. Tapping on Top charts or Categories will now open a separate page, requiring you to hit the arrow in the top left corner to go back to the home page. The For you tab has also been removed, as it now serves as the default home page on both the Games and Apps tabs.
We were also tipped off to a new UI change for Google Play Points. Previously, your Play Points were displayed in a blue pill-shaped container at the top of the page. In the screenshot above, furthest to the right, you can see that Google has removed this container. It also appears that the company rolled out a new style for badge notifications as well.
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