New App Shortcut Makes Launching Google Play Collections a Breeze

Summary

Google has introduced a new app shortcut feature that allows users to launch Play Collections directly from the Play Store app, enhancing accessibility and convenience.

• Previous Method: Users could only access the collections (Watch, Game, Read, Listen, Food, Shop, Social) via a homescreen widget. The smallest configuration was a 2x1 bar showing up to four shortcuts, while larger widgets could occupy the entire homescreen.
• New Feature: A new app shortcut is now available when long-pressing the Play Store icon. This brings up a menu with "Collections" alongside other options like "My apps," allowing users to launch the feed directly without a widget. The shortcut can also be dragged to the homescreen and accessed via device search.
• Current Availability: The app shortcut is available with version 44.8.15 of the Google Play Store, though it's not yet widely rolled out due to server-side components. Version 44.9 will expand availability to Android 10-12 users in the US.
• Background: Google launched Collections in July last year, with a wider rollout in the US that September.