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Every year, the App Store Awards celebrate exceptional apps and games that improve people’s lives while showcasing the highest levels of technical innovation, user experience, design, and positive cultural impact. This year, the App Store Editorial team is proud to recognize 49 outstanding finalists. Winners will be announced in the coming weeks. Learn about the finalists
A decade after that first pitch meeting at Rovio, the fully realized vision: how top studios use analytics to reduce decision latency and see truth before competitors even react.
Today, we’re introducing the Mini Apps Partner Program, which expands on the App Store’s ongoing support for apps that offer mini apps. Mini apps are self-contained experiences that are built using web technologies like HTML5 and JavaScript. This program is designed to help developers who host mini apps grow their business and further the availability of mini apps on the App Store — all while providing a great customer experience. Participating developers may benefit from a reduced commission rate of 15% on the sales of qualifying In-App Purchases. To be eligible for this reduced commission rate, participating apps must support certain App Store technologies, including the Declared Age Range API and the Advanced Commerce API in order to help provide a safe and seamless experience for customers of all ages. Learn more about the Mini Apps Partner Program and eligibility
Posted by Karan Jhavar - Product Manager, Android Frameworks, Dan Brown - Product Manager, Google Play, and Eric Brenner - Software Engineer, Google Play A great user experience is built on a foundation of strong technical performance. We are committed to helping you create stable, responsive, and efficient apps that users love. Excessive battery drain is top of mind for your users, and together, we are taking significant steps to help you build more power-efficient apps. Earlier this year, we introduced a new beta metric in Android vitals, excessive partial wake locks , to help you identify and address sources of battery drain. This initial beta metric was co-developed in close collaboration with Samsung , combining their deep, real-world insights into user experience with battery consumption with Android's platform data. We want to thank you for providing invaluable feedback during the beta period. Powered by your input and our continued collaboration with Samsung, we have further refined the algorithm to be even more accurate and representative. We are excited to announce that this refined metric is now generally available as a new core vitals metric to all developers in Android vitals. We have defined a bad behavior threshold for excessive wake locks. Starting March 1, 2026, if your title does not meet this quality threshold, we may exclude the title from prominent discovery surfaces such as recommendations. In some cases, we may display a warning on your store listing to indicate to users that your app may cause excessive battery drain. GOOGLE PLAY'S CORE TECHNICAL QUALITY METRICS To maximize visibility on Google Play, keep your app below the bad behavior thresholds for these metrics. User-perceived crash rate The percentage of daily active users who experienced at least one crash that is likely to have been noticeable User-perceived ANR rate The percentage of daily active users who experienced at least one ANR that is likely to have been noticeable Excessive battery usage The percentage of watch face sessions where battery usage exceeds 4.44% per hour New: Excessive partial wake locks The percentage of user sessions where cumulative, non-exempt wake lock usage exceeds 2 hours Excessive partial wake locks newly join the technical quality bars that Play expects all titles to maintain for a great user experience This is the first in a series of new metrics designed to provide deeper insight into your app's resource utilization, enabling you to improve the experience for your users across the entire Android ecosystem. 1. Aligning our definition of excessive wake locks with user expectations Apps can hold wake locks to prevent the user's device from entering sleep mode, letting the apps perform background work while the screen is off. We consider a user session excessive if it holds more than 2 cumulative hours of non-exempt wake locks in a 24 hour period. These excessive sessions are a heavy contributor to battery drain. A wake lock is exempted if it is a system held wake lock that offers clear user benefits that cannot be further optimized, such as audio playback or user-initiated data transfer. The bad behaviour threshold is crossed when 5% of an app’s user sessions over the last 28 days are excessive. If your app exceeds this threshold, you will be alerted directly on your Android vitals overview page . You can read more information about our definition on the Android Developer pages . Android vitals will alert you to excessive wake lock issues and provide a table of wake lock tags to P90/ P99 duration to help you identify the source by wake lock name. To help you understand your app’s partial wake lock usage, we are enhancing the excessive partial wake locks page in Android vitals with a new wake lock names table. This table breaks down wake lock sessions by their specific tag names and durations, allowing you to easily identify long wake locks in your local development environment, like Android Studio, for easier debugging. You should investigate any wake locks with P90 or P99 durations above 60 minutes. 2. Excessive wake locks and their impact on Google Play visibility If your title exceeds the bad behavior threshold for excessive wake locks, it may be ineligible for some discovery surfaces where users find new apps and games. In some cases, we may also show a warning on your store listing to inform users that your app may cause their device's battery to drain faster. Users may see a warning on your store listing if your app exceeds the bad behavior threshold. Note: The exact text and design are subject to change. We know making technical changes to your app’s code and how it works can be time consuming, so we are making the metric available for you to diagnose and fix potential issues now, with time before the Store visibility changes begin, starting from March 1, 2026. 3. What to do next We encourage you to take the following steps to ensure your app delivers a great experience for users: Visit Android vitals : Review your app's performance on the new excessive partial wake locks metric. The metric is now visible to all developers whose apps have wake lock sessions. Discover excessive partial wake locks : Use the new wake lock names table to identify excessive partial wake locks. Consult the documentation: For detailed guidance on best practices and fixing common issues, please check out our technical blog post , technical video and updated developer documentation on wake locks . Thank you for your continued partnership in building high-quality, performant experiences that users can rely on every day.
Supercell went all-in on Squad Busters with Hollywood talent, no soft launch, and a $150M budget. It didn't work out. Here's why it still mattered.
Today we’re releasing more details about the tools we’re making available for developers to help them meet their compliance obligations under upcoming U.S. state laws, including SB2420 in Texas. While we’re providing these tools to help developers navigate the evolving legal landscape, Apple remains concerned about the potential implications of laws like SB2420 in Texas. Specifically, we worry they could undermine the privacy of all users by requiring the collection of sensitive personal information just to download an app – even those that simply provide weather forecasts or sports scores. Starting January 1, 2026, new Apple Accounts in Texas will be subject to new requirements. This includes age assurance and parent or guardian consent on behalf of minors under the age of 18 for downloads, purchases, and significant changes associated with an app. Parents or guardians will also be able to revoke their consent for any app they previously approved. To meet their obligations under the law, developers may need to adopt new capabilities to receive age category information, trigger consent for a significant change, and learn when a parent or guardian revokes their approval for a child or teen to use their app. Developers can use the following APIs available in the beta versions of iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 to help them meet their obligations. Sandbox testing is also available to help test the user experience when implementing these APIs to comply with Texas state law. Age category information Developers can use the updated Declared Age Range API to obtain a user’s age category, which is defined by Texas state law as under 13, 13-15, 16-17, or over 18. Age categories for users with new Apple Accounts in Texas as of January 1, 2026, will be shared with a developer’s app when they request it. The API will also return a signal from the user’s device about the method of age assurance, such as credit card or government ID, and if consent is required when there’s a significant change to an app. Obtaining consent for significant changes Certain types of changes to an app may be considered significant changes under age assurance laws, such as Texas SB2420. It’s the developer’s responsibility to determine when there’s a significant change to their app. When a developer determines they have made a significant change to their app, they’ll need to use the Significant Change API under the PermissionKit framework to ask the parent or guardian to provide consent for the child or teen to continue using the app or new feature within the app. When the API is called, the child or teen user will see a system dialog to request parental consent and developers can restrict access until consent is obtained. Texas state law considers a change in the age rating of an app to be a significant change, and developers should keep their age rating selections current in App Store Connect. When a developer updates their app’s age rating, the rating is updated on all user devices once the version is live. Developers can use a new property type in StoreKit to automatically check when their app’s age rating has changed on a user’s device and then use the Significant Change API to request parental consent. App consent revocation A parent or guardian in Texas can withdraw consent for any app, which will block launching of the app on the child or teen’s device. The App Store will provide a server notification that developers can configure to receive notifications that the parent or guardian has withdrawn consent for their app on a child or teen’s device. Sandbox testing Sandbox testing is now available for the Declared Age Range API and Significant Change API in the beta versions of iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2. Next steps Review documentation and implement the following: Declared Age Range API Significant Change API under PermissionKit New age rating property type in StoreKit App Store server notification Use Apple’s sandbox testing environment to validate that the APIs have been implemented correctly. When the Release Candidates of iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 become available, submit your apps to App Store Connect so users can update their devices with your updated apps with the customer releases. Stay tuned for additional communication about future tools to help developers meet upcoming legal obligations in Utah, Louisiana, and Brazil.
Game development is evolving from logic to life. Through world models, Pim De Witte is building a future where virtual worlds learn, react, and feel alive.
Posted by Paul Feng, VP of Product Management, Google Play Last month, we shared new updates showcasing our evolving vision for Google Play : a place where people can discover the content and experiences they love and where you can build and grow sustainable businesses. Our commitment to your success is at the heart of our continued investments. Today, we're excited to introduce a new bundle of tools and programs designed to enhance your productivity and accelerate your growth. From simplifying technical integration and localization, to offering deeper insights and creating powerful new ways to engage your audience these features will help streamline your development lifecycle. Watch our latest updates in The Android Show segment below or continue reading. You can also catch up on our latest Android developments by watching the full show . Streamline your development and operations with new tools We're launching new tools to remove friction from your tedious development tasks by helping you validate deep links and scale to new markets with Gemini-powered AI. Simplify deep link validation with a built-in emulator Troubleshooting deep links can be complex and time-consuming so we’re excited to launch a new, streamlined experience that allows you to instantly validate your deep links directly within Play Console . This means you can use a built-in emulator to test a deep link and immediately see the expected user experience on the spot, just as if someone clicked the URL on a real device. Instantly validate your deep links using the new built-in emulator Reach a global audience with Gemini-powered localization We’re making it easier to bring your app or game to a global audience by simplifying localization. With our latest translation service, we've integrated the power of Gemini into Play Console to offer high-quality translations for your app strings, at no cost. This service automatically translates new app bundles into your selected languages, accelerating your title to new markets. Most importantly, you always remain in full control with the ability to preview the translated app with a built-in emulator and easily edit or disable translations. Drive growth and engagement with AI-powered insights and You tab We're launching new ways to help you reach and retain users, Including AI-powered insights and the new You tab for re-engagement. Get faster insights with automated chart summaries To help you spend less time interpreting data and more time acting on key insights, a new Gemini-powered feature on the Statistics page automatically generates descriptions of your charts. These summaries help you quickly understand key trends and events that might be affecting your metrics. For developers who use a screen reader, this feature also provides access to reporting in a way you haven't had before. Get faster insights with new Gemini-powered chart summaries Access objective-related metrics and actionable advice for audience growth Earlier this year, we launched objective-based overview pages in Play Console to consolidate your key metrics, app performance, and actionable steps across essential workflows. With dedicated pages for Test & Release, Monitor & Improve, and Monetize with Play already live, we're excited to announce the full completion of this toolkit. The new Grow users overview page is now available, giving you a comprehensive, tailored view to help you acquire new users and expand your reach. Track your key audience growth metrics on the new "Grow users" overview page Boost re-engagement with the You tab Last month, we launched You tab, a brand new, personalized destination on the Play Store. This is where users can discover and re-engage with content from their favorite apps and games with curated rewards, subscriptions, recommendations, and updates all in one place. App developers can take advantage of this personalized destination by integrating with Engage SDK . This integration allows you to help people pick up right where they left off—like resuming a movie or playlist— or get personalized recommendations, all while seamlessly guiding them back into your app. Game developers can use this surface to showcase timely in-game events, content updates, and special offers, making it easy for players to jump right back into the action. Promotional content, YouTube video listings, and Play Points coupons are now open to all game developers for creating a rich presence on the You tab. The availability of these powerful re-engagement tools is part of our broader commitment to game quality through the new Google Play Games Level Up program. Learn more about the program's guidelines here . Showcase in-game events and offers on the new You tab Optimize your monetization strategy and track performance We're launching powerful new ways to configure your one-time products and track the full impact of your Play Points promotions with a new, consolidated reporting page. Simplify catalog management for one-time products Earlier this year, we introduced more flexible ways to configure one-time purchases . You can now offer your in-app products as limited-time rentals, and sign up for our early access program to get started with pre-orders. We've also launched a new taxonomy, building on our existing subscription model, to help you manage your catalog more efficiently. This new model unlocks significant flexibility to help you reach a wider audience and cater to different user preferences by letting you offer the same item in multiple ways. For example, you can sell an item in one country and rent it in another—helping Play better surface relevant offerings to users. Explore these new capabilities today in Play Console . Manage your catalog more efficiently with new ways to configure one-time products Understand the impact and performance of Play Points promotions With Play Points recently opened to all eligible titles, you can now better understand the impact of your promotions. The new Play Points page in Play Console lets you see the total revenue, buyers and acquisitions that all Play Points promotions have generated. This reporting covers both your developer-created offers, as well as new reporting for Google-funded Play Points promotions, which includes direct and post-promotion performance metrics . New reporting for Play Points promotions The features announced today are more than just updates; they are the building blocks of a powerful growth engine for your business. We hope you start exploring these new capabilities today and continue sharing feedback so we can build the tools you need to build a thriving, sustainable business on Google Play.
Posted by Robbie McLachlan - Developer Marketing At Google Play, we’re committed to helping businesses of all sizes reach their full potential. That’s why we’re excited to open submissions for our new Google Play Apps Accelerator . If you’re an early-stage app company ready to scale, this program is designed for you. Selected companies from over 60+ eligible countries will join a 12-week accelerator starting in March 2026. The program combines 1-1 mentorship from Google and industry experts with a curriculum focused on growing your app business on Google Play. Sessions will cover: Build: We'll cover the journey from a prototype to a scalable, high-quality app - focusing on the tools and best practices for longevity. Grow: So you've launched. Now what? Waiting for users to show up isn't the best strategy. We'll dive into what really works for growth. You'll get the playbook on go-to-market strategy, user acquisition, and LiveOps that turns downloads into a user community. Earn: Want to build a smart monetization strategy? We'll focus on revenue models that build value and drive sustainable growth for your business. Lead: You've mastered your product, but what about your people? Your role as a founder is evolving. We’ll give you leadership insights to hire the right people, grow their skills, and build a thriving culture. You’ll also get the chance to meet and connect with other founders from around the world who are looking to take their apps to the next level. All submissions must be completed by January 7, 2026, @ 11:59 PM GMT. Check out our terms and conditions for more information. Apply now to supercharge your growth on Google Play.
Supercell’s Ilkka Paananen calls out EU regulators over the Digital Fairness Act, warning that new laws could cripple Europe’s $27B gaming industry. Is Brussels protecting consumers or killing its own innovation engine?
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“GPT-5.5's API pricing is reshaping how startups build AI products”
