At the moment, the Play Store’s lookup capabilities are quite basic. Google Play is now testing filters in search that can refine results by only surfacing the top apps.
Today, generic search terms are often accompanied by a row of suggestion chips to refine by app features. For example, a query for “weather” shows filters to only look for applications that mention the availability of a “widget” or “radar.”
Google Play is now getting a more generic filter set where results can be refined by rating (either 4.0+ or 4.5+), the “Editor’s Choice” badge from Google, and “New.” All three filters can be applied at the same time to only show the top apps in the results below. Selecting highlights the chip in green with an ‘X’ button at the right allowing you to start over.
This is much more useful than the current approach as it allows users to browse by what’s objectively highly-rated. Meanwhile, “new” is helpful for surfacing up-and-coming developers.
Google Play search filters are not widely available yet and are rolling out via a server-side update.
More about Google Play:
- Play Store bug prompting repeat Android app updates
- Google Play bug causing app icons and images to disappear for some
- Google requiring Android apps to clearly detail subscriptions before users sign-up
- New Google Play ‘Kids’ tab highlights teacher-approved apps, replaces ‘Family’ badge
Author: Abner Li.
Source: 9TO5Google
