Google Play Store test lets users preview apps based on device

What you need to know

• Google Play Store's test lets users select device chips such as tablets, phones, watches, Chromebooks, and TVs on app detail pages.
• Selecting a chip changes the app previews and other key elements such as download size and app ratings per device.
• The Play Store recently underwent a slight UI update as Google changed its color scheme to use a default blue accent.

Google's app store is apparently beginning to test a helpful feature for those looking to download apps on multiple devices.

As spotted by AssembleDebug on Twitter, new device chips have been spotted on the details page of an app on the Play Store (via Android Police). The test displays chips for tablets, Chromebooks, phones, watches, and TVs. A "chip" is the term used for those little context-sensitive buttons that appear at the top of lists to help you quickly filter them.

Tapping on device chips such as a tablet or Chromebook will change the essential elements of the app's page such as its previews.  The swapped-out images give users a good look at how an app will look and behave on other devices so they can avoid blindly downloading.

Additionally, other key pieces of information such as how many times the app has been downloaded, its rating, and the size of the app will also change depending on which device option users have selected.

If the testing proves fruitful, the chips on app pages would be an alternative to Google's "Other devices" marker, a menu offered from the Play Store's main page which lets users peruse a wider array of apps available for other Android-related devices. It's also a useful improvement for the drop menu beside the install button which lets users quickly download the same app on their phone and on their watch, for example.

However, the new chips for app pages would make the drop-down menu a little more trustworthy considering all of the new information users will have to make a better judgment call over a download.

This feature in testing would also make those utilizing Google's "Sync apps to devices" feature, tucked away in its "Manage apps and devices" menu, a little more comfortable.

At the moment, this updated view of the Play Store is extremely limited. AssembleDebug mentioned users with a rooted phone would have to enable certain flags in order to view it before Google's proper rollout.

On the other hand, Google recently rolled out a slightly redesigned version of the Play Store. The company now features a universal blue accent across the store which used to abide by a user's Dynamic colors for its UI.