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Google Removes Practical Function from the Play Store

Logo for the Google Play Store on a smartphone
The Google Play Store will soon lose a practical function Photo: Getty Images

December 19, 2024, 8:25 am | Read time: 2 minutes

Anyone who likes to search for new apps in the Google Play Store will soon have to do without a useful function. This is the sharing of applications.

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If you own an Android device and are looking for a new application, it’s hard to avoid the Google Play Store. There is an immense selection in all kinds of areas, from games to everyday tools. The platform also offers various functions for the best possible user experience. However, one of them is set to disappear again soon. TECHBOOK reveals which one it is.

App Sharing is Disappearing from the Google Play Store

Many different applications can be used on smartphones, and content can be shared quickly and easily. In 2022, those responsible for the Google Play Store combined these two elements and introduced the option of sharing apps directly from the store with others.

This is done using the Quick Share function of the respective device, which is why a fast internet connection is not even necessary. This is actually quite useful in preventing someone from having to search for the app. It is also useful for getting to shared experiences more quickly. However, in the new release notes for the Google Play Store, the company announced that it would discontinue the “Share apps” feature for sharing an app.

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Alternative Solution Already Available

There is currently not much further information available. For example, it is not known whether the function has been well received in the two years of its existence. However, the decision to discontinue it suggests that it may not have been as popular as expected. Google has also not announced a specific discontinuation date.

Another reason could also be that there is already a free, in-house alternative. With the “Files by Google” application, users can also share their apps via Quick Share. This has been downloaded more than a billion times so far and is even rated quite highly, with an average of 4.4 stars. In addition to app sharing, it provides other features like freeing up storage space and enabling quick file searches.

This article is a machine translation of the original German version of TECHBOOK and has been reviewed for accuracy and quality by a native speaker. For feedback, please contact us at info@techbook.de.

Topics Google News Play Store
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