- The Google Play Store is starting to roll out a local recommendations feature.
- This feature uses your device’s approximate location to provide locally-relevant contextual information like promotions or app recommendations.
- The opt-in feature is starting to slowly roll out to some devices.
The Google Play Store is where most Android users go to download new apps and games. While many of the most popular apps and games are available globally, some software is only available in certain regions, a practice known as region locking. This is possible because the Play Store checks what country you’re in to serve you region-specific content. Beyond that, though, the store doesn’t check whether you’re in a particular city or state before recommending content. However, that could soon change as the Google Play Store is rolling out a feature that uses your device’s location to recommend local content.
When I opened the Google Play Store app on my Galaxy Z Flip 6 the other day, I was met by a pop-up that asked me whether I “want[ed] to see local recommendations in Google Play.” It continued: “Play can use your device location to recommend apps, offers, and other local content that are relevant in your area.”