Tech Desk 
Jul 30, 2024
Following last week’s reveal, Google Play has begun broadly displaying its new content recommendation widget, ‘Collections’, across devices in the US.
The Play Store now has two widgets that highlight different layout options. The smallest is a bar, while the largest option takes up the entire display. A rail in the latter configuration provides access to Watch, Game, Read, Listen, Food, Shop, and Social.
Tapping opens a fullscreen UI (user interface). There is a string of card carousels, and an app tray features at the bottom of each feed.
The ‘app library’ is a standout feature. It functions like an app launcher and includes folders for the top added and recently used apps, with a variety of categories appearing below.
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What makes this so neat is that the widget has a consolidated feed of content that appears right in front of the user.
A podcast or music track on pause can be managed from this window. Google TV users will be able to select from a catalogue of various genres, YouTube offers ‘from your subscriptions’, and Read has ‘continue reading’ from Play Books.
‘Food’ will provide a bunch of food recommendations via Google Maps and even suggest cooking recipes from YouTube. ‘Social’ will display the user feed if Reddit is in use.
Apps Supporting Play Store 'Collections'
That all being said, here’s a list of apps that currently support 'Collections':
- Game: Play Store, YouTube
- Food: Chick-fil-A, Dunkin’, Maps, Play Store, Uber Eats, YouTube
- Listen: Audible, GoodFM, iHeart, Kobo Books, Play Books, Spotify, YT Music
- Read: AlphaNovel, Audible, Blinkist, GoodFM, Kobo Books, Play Books, Wattpad
- Shop: Adidas, AliExpress, ASOS, Best Buy, FARFETCH, Home Depot, Play Store, Sam’s Club, Shop, Walmart, Wish
- Social: Nextdoor, Pinterest, Play Store, Reddit, Tumblr
- Watch: ABC, Amazon Freevee, BET NOW, BET+, Boomerang, Brown Sugar, Cartoon Network, Cooking Channel, Crackle, Crunchyroll, CW Network, Discovery+, Disney NOW, Disney+, and more
