Google Play adds private distribution for personal Android apps

Google Play now lets Android users run personal apps they build with AI without publishing them publicly, Google announced on Tuesday. The apps are launched on a user’s device through Google Play with their standard Google account.

These apps remain private: they do not appear in Google Play search results or listing pages, and are shared only with their creator. They must still follow Google Play’s existing policies. Google says users can create the apps with Google AI Studio.

Previously, using a self-built Android app meant publishing it on Google Play, where it could be available to the store’s roughly 3 billion users. Google says that requirement led some people to make web apps instead. The new feature is initially available to users in the U.S. who are at least 18.

Google says users will be able to share these apps with a trusted network of friends in the coming months. If an app becomes popular, its creator will be able to publish it on Google Play after completing trust and safety reviews.

Google also announced other Play updates, including Game Finder, an AI-powered game recommendation feature initially available in the U.S. in English. It draws on users’ gaming preferences and information from a game community of 1.2 billion players. Other additions include user-curated game lists, a Community Posts section, 48-hour gaming challenges called Sprints, and app comparisons in the Ask Play assistant. Play apps and games will also be more deeply integrated into Gemini conversations. A new age-range feature lets parents share a child’s age range, rather than exact birthdate, with developers.