The Play Store Just Added A Small Tweak That Could Save You Money

While many AI services aim to replace apps with all-in-one solutions, the Google Play Store remains home to thousands of apps on Android. While the Play Store offers easy access to free and paid apps, many users have accidentally purchased paid apps — especially with kids around. Google is now tweaking the purchase process on Android to reduce accidental purchases.

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As spotted by 9to5Google, Google is rolling out a change to the Play Store where purchasing apps now requires a “slide-to-buy” gesture to complete the transaction. Until now, the Play Store used a single “1-tap buy” button, which sometimes led to unintended purchases. This has now been replaced with a Slide to Buy pill.

You’ll have to slide instead of tap to buy apps on the Play Store now

Source: 9to5Google

Old vs. new app purchase UI in Google Play Store

The new pill features a circular button with two arrows pointing right, signaling users to swipe right to confirm the purchase. According to the report, there’s also a bounce animation to guide first-time users through this updated process.

Previously, users had to press two separate buttons to complete a Play Store purchase. Now, the added swipe action introduces slightly more friction to further prevent accidental purchases. The update is rolling out with version 46.5.19-31 of the Play Store, although I haven’t seen the change yet. Like many Google updates, this could be a server-side rollout that takes a few weeks to reach everyone.

In addition, Google appears to be testing several other changes on the Play Store. Just earlier today, the company was seen testing the new Material 3 Expressive design, and it recently rolled out the “Ask Play about this app” feature, which uses Gemini to answer user questions about an app.

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