Google is currently testing an expansion of its existing Play Store filters to help find better-rated apps. First spotted by 9to5Google, the change brings a handful of new filtering options that will appear when searching, including a pair of star rating limits and an Editors' Choice-only flag that can help separate the app wheat from the chaff.

Filters in the Play Store have changed a bit since they were first introduced back in 2017, picking up a outlined, bubbly look last year. These latest filters build on the ones that already (inconsistently) appear when searching for content on the Play Store, usually to add extra related terms to a search (i.e., "free" or "offline" with a search of "game" — you get the idea.)

Images via 9to5Google. 

Three to four new filters have been spotted in total, depending on how you count: New, Editor's Choice, and star ratings of 4.0+ or 4.5+. In practice, the filters work exactly as you'd imagine, trimming down the selection displayed in search once they're toggled on, and you can have more than one enabled. Based on the screenshots rustled up by 9to5, the new filters appear to replace the old ones. Selected filters are highlighted green when enabled, though the X to de-select a given filter which usually appears in the corner of each seems to be missing in this test.

None of our devices has the new filter options, nor are we sure if their appearance is limited to searches of a specific type. Presumably, the change spotted is still being tested server-side, though we'll let you know if we spot it rolling out more widely.

Source: 9to5Google