If you’re a Android user, you’re probably familiar with the Play Store interface. It’s a simple, intuitive system that lets you buy and download apps, watch videos, and more. But what if you want to use the Play Store on your phone in a different way? For example, if you’re an iPhone user and want to buy movies or TV shows from the store, you have to use the App Store. But what if you want to use the Play Store on your phone for other purposes? That’s where the New Play Store Interface comes in. This new interface is designed specifically for using the Play Store on Android devices. It’s much more user-friendly than the old interface, and it makes it easier to find and download apps and videos. So how do you get started? First, open up your Settings app and click on “New Account.” Then enter in your email address and password (if necessary). Once you’ve done this, click on “Create New Account.” Now that you’ve set up your new account, open up the New PlayStore Interface and select which app or video you want to watch or download. You can also search for apps by keyword or by specific genres of content. Once you’ve chosen an app or video, tap on “Download.”
It’s not uncommon for Google to update the user interface of its Android apps—including the Play Store. A change made in early 2021 puts many of the menu items you might want to access in a much less obvious spot. We’ll show you where to look.
In April 2021, Google began rolling out a slight redesign to the Play Store on Android. Similar to other Google apps, the main menu was moved from the three-line “hamburger” button previously found in the top-left corner to the user’s profile icon located in the search bar.
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While this is a small visual change—simply removing one icon—it makes a pretty big difference in how navigating the app works. You now have to train yourself to go somewhere else to check for app updates, see your library, and access the settings menu.
When the new UI rolls out to your device, you’ll notice the old hamburger menu icon (three horizontal lines) is faded. Tapping it will reveal the message seen below, instructing you to tap your profile icon. The old slide-out menu will be gone after this.
From now on, to access the menu in the Play Store app on Android, you’ll need to tap your profile icon on the right side of the search bar.
This will expand a menu with all the options you’re used to seeing. This includes “My Apps & Games,” “Library,” “Payments & Subscriptions,” Settings,” your Play Points info, and more.
That’s it! This is a seemingly small change, but one that will certainly take some getting used to. If you access this menu a lot, you’ve probably developed some muscle memory for the old location. The un-training begins now.
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