Google has made a change to their Play Store guidelines that will place a restriction on developers. The new addition will limit what developers can actually put within the description of the applications they develop. The limit will come in form of no longer allowing developers to include user testimonials in applications that are on the Play Store. This change, will eliminate some of the verbiage that many see within the description of the application.
While the move has caught negative attention from developers themselves, the updated Play Store guidelines point note, “Please do not include user testimonials in your app description. They tend to be dubious and are frequently utilized to include references to popular search terms and competitor apps in violation of the policies outlined here. Let your users speak for themselves via Play’s comment review system.
Google has essentially stopped developers from using some of the same techniques that websites use to get noticed in Google’s search results – but this ultimately becomes a matter of opinion on whether the move is the right one or not. While it’s unclear at the moment what the company will be doing to further combat this – the point of contention that Google has is battling testimonials that force a download and but are ultimately misled by the testimonial. Also, it’s nearly-impossible for those testimonials to be verified in any way, so users are ultimately left assuming whatever the developer plugs in, is absolute truth. However, Google is no longer going to be accepting that as common practice.
Those who are found in violation of this new rule will see their applications pulled from the Play Store entirely, and could be banned in extreme cases. That though isn’t the only new thing that’s gracing the Android world. Google is also being rumored to be running tests on a new screen layout. The screen layout appears to bring a three-column look, and would keep many of the same features that are present today, while adding a third column for favorites, or similar applications. This would be something that would likely be done in an effort to accommodate growing screens, and to accommodate larger – and wider displays.
The recreational user might not even notice any changes physically, but those who are regulars, or very familiar with the Play Store should know that a change is likely coming.
