The Play Store website has been getting really long in the tooth. It was last redesigned ages ago and still looks very much like it did when Google launched the original Material design language. Some Reddit users were already lobbying for a redesign two years ago, and it looks like Google is now finally in the process of bringing us just that. Thanks to a tipster, we've spotted a completely redesigned experience on the web that's much more in line with the Play Store app.

Web Play Store redesign

You'd be forgiven if you mistake the new design for the Android Play Store app at first glance, but it's really a web experience. The Play Store logo is still in the top left corner, but that's about everything that has remained the same. Gone is the gray background and the complicated, nested sidebar, making way for a top navigation solution that gives you quick access to the four main sections of the Play Store: Games, apps, movies, and books.

When you dive into the apps or games section, you can filter by phone, tablet, TV, Chromebook, watch, and car apps, which is incredibly valuable on the website — you won't install apps right in your browser, after all.

The stuff in the left-aligned sidebar isn't gone, don't worry. Google has moved it over to the account switcher in the top right corner, where you'll now be able to access your library and your devices, subscriptions, payment methods, order history, your activity, rewards, settings, and everything else. It's questionable if removing the sidebar is making best use of the available space on the wide screens we all have these days, but here we are.

Play Store web redesign account picker

On individual app pages, the redesign really looks like an overblown mobile view. A huge title lets you know which app you're viewing, along with an equally huge icon on the right. A right-aligned sidebar gives you developer contact options and further app suggestions, while the rest of the interface is designed much like the mobile app, with download numbers, ratings, and age restrictions right in view.

Play Store web redesign 4

For games, it looks like there will be auto-playing trailers. The install button is right below, while screenshots are positioned in a side-scrolling gallery next to it. Interestingly enough, the button is grayed out for us for all apps, but that might be because we messed with our locale to enable the design (see below)

Web Play Store redesign 2

The search experience has also been revamped. Like in the Play Store app, you'll get many more auto-complete recommendations when you start typing out queries, and you'll also have direct access to an app listing when you've typed out name matches well enough. In that case, you're redirected to a search page that gives you additional details about the result you were likely looking for, listing the rest of the apps in question in a horizontally scrolling carousel. Not really the best way to make use of the big screen, but at least you won't be overwhelmed by the sheer number of results as in the past anymore.

The redesign is still a work-in-progress, as some sections are outright broken. Our tipster hasn't been able to access his app library in the new redesign, and there are some visual inconsistencies, like old UI elements still popping up left and right in some app listings. For what it's worth, we're able to see the library just fine on our end, so your mileage may vary.

While the Play Store feels just a little overblown on desktop, the redesign was more than overdue. It looks like the interface is much better at scaling for different window sizes, which was a pain point in the older version that wouldn't work well when viewed in narrow windows. It also feels like the store loads much faster than the older version, which is nice to see. And I can't stress this enough — if you've ever used the Play Store app, you should feel right at home. It's just a bummer that the new design is already on the verge of being outdated again, given that the Play Store has switched to Material You theming, which isn't active in any capacity in the web experience.

Play Store redesign anim

From what we can tell, the redesign seems to be rolling out via a server-side switch, though a few of us on the team and our tipster have been able to activate it by switching to the Korean Play Store (https://play.google.com/store/apps?gl=kr). It looks like the redesign is also live in Taiwan, so you could try that local version, too (https://play.google.com/store/apps?gl=tw). It would seem like the test is country-specific, and then it's not even active for every user.

It's yet to be seen if Google is going to roll out the redesign more broadly right away or if this is an a/b test that's reaching a lot of users at the same time. Only time will tell.

Thanks: Martin