Google simplifies access to play collections with new app shortcut
Google has made it easier to access Google Play Collections without cluttering your home screen with a widget. Now, you can use a simple app shortcut to get to your favorite collections. Before, you could only open the Watch, Game, Read, Listen, Food, Shop, and Social feeds by adding a widget to your home screen. These widgets could be as small as a bar showing four shortcuts or as large as taking over your entire screen to display a unified feed.
Now, by long-pressing the Google Play Store icon, you’ll see a new option labeled “Collections” right above “My apps”. Tapping this will open your collections instantly. You can also drag this shortcut to your home screen for quick access or use your device’s search function, like on the Pixel Launcher, to find “Collections” easily.
This feature is starting to appear with Google Play Store version 44.8.15 but remember, it’s controlled by server-side settings, so it might not be available to everyone just yet. Additionally, with the upcoming version 44.9 of the Play Store, this feature will be available for Android 10 to 12 users in the US.
Google first introduced Collections last July, with a broader rollout in the US happening that September. This new shortcut makes accessing these curated collections much simpler and more convenient for users.