Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Google is working on a new “Ask a question” feature for the Google Play Store.
- This upcoming AI-powered feature will likely allow users to ask questions on the app listing page and use AI to answer them.
- This feature could complement the AI-generated FAQs currently present in the Play Store.
The Google Play Store is the premier destination for downloading and installing apps and games on your Android flagship. While many of us are experts at finding the right app for our needs, many users need assistance locating the right app. The app discovery process for them is quite different, and these users often have questions about the app’s working but cannot locate their answers in the app listing. Google could be working on improving this experience, and it could use AI to generate answers to users’ questions on app listings.
An APK teardown helps predict features that may arrive on a service in the future based on work-in-progress code. However, it is possible that such predicted features may not make it to a public release.
Google Play Store v43.3.32-31 contains new strings that indicate that Google is working on a new AI-powered feature called “Ask a question.” Take a look at the new strings:
Code
<string>Created by AI</string>
<string>Ask a question about this app</string>
<string>Ask a question</string>We spotted AI-generated FAQs in the Play Store earlier in the year, so this would mark “Ask a question” as the second AI-powered feature. These FAQs are pre-generated by the Play Store using AI, so while they address common questions, there’s room to tune the responses further based on personal questions. The upcoming “Ask a question” feature could be a step in that direction, as it would presumably let users ask questions about the app or game listing they are currently viewing.
According to other clues within the app, this AI feature will likely be visible on the individual app listing page and search results. Users will likely see a button or the text “Ask a question,” which will show an input field where they can enter their questions to receive an AI-generated answer.
This AI-generated question-and-answer feature is not currently live in the Google Play Store. Google has not shared anything about this feature, so we don’t know if and when it will go live for users. However, a feature like this aligns well with good, practical use cases for AI and would help users and app developers alike, so we hope the feature comes to fruition.