Google I/O 2026 brought a wave of updates to the Play storefront, with Ask Play leading the charge. This AI-powered overlay lets users ask natural language questions to discover apps, replacing the earlier Q&A tool. During extended chats, Ask Play highlights will surface a top-level summary at the top of results to keep navigation simple.

Play Games Sidekick, which debuted last year, is also expanding. New social features will show which friends play the same game and what achievements they've unlocked. After an initial wave of around 100 titles, Sidekick will be available for all participating games this summer, finally bringing Android gaming closer to Apple's Game Center.

For regular Android users, these changes make Play feel less like a static catalog and more like a social discovery hub. Combined with Google's broader push on AI this year, Ask Play represents the most consumer-facing example yet, while Sidekick's social layer should drive stronger engagement among gamers.