Apps For Non-Phone Devices Made Easier

Web Desk — Play Store is getting an update to make it easier to discover and download apps across all Android devices, including Wear OS watches, Android TVs, tablets, and cars with Android Auto. Three updates were made: a new device-specific search filter, new sections in the Android app for devices other than phones, and new options for remotely installing apps.

This update comes as Google focuses on improving the Android hardware ecosystem beyond phones, including a Google Pixel smartwatch this year and a new Google tablet in 2023. As Google offers a broader range of hardware, it seems the company wants to make it easier for users to install apps.

The first update for the Google Play app will bring new homepages to non-phone devices like watches, TVs, and cars.

9to5Google previously spotted the new sections while they were in testing, and they’re officially rolling out this week.

Thanks to new search filters which appear below the search box, searching for apps for non-phone devices should also get easier.

In order to limit a search to just one of your devices, whether it’s a smartwatch or Android TV, you can use the filter.

This feature, though it too was previously spotted in the wild by 9to5Google, is also officially rolling out this week.

Finally, once you find an Android app you need, Google’s announcement says it’s now easier to install it remotely. A promotional image shows how the same Android app can be installed across multiple different devices with a single tap.

Remotely installing Wear OS apps is a feature that’s appeared in Google’s support pages since last year, and users also spotted Google testing remote Android TV app installs last November. Now the remote install feature is fully available to all users.