Google only recently redesigned the Play Store, getting rid of the hamburger menu and moving most of its menu entries to the account switcher in the top right corner. But it looks like the company isn't done revamping the distribution service. Reports of a revamped "My Apps" section surfaced last month, and we didn't like it one bit. And now, for better or worse, the change appears to be rolling out widely.

When you head to the "My apps & games" section of the Play Store, you previously saw a collection of pending updates and most recently updated apps in the first tab — a useful overview for those of us who still like to read changelogs, if they even exist for any of the apps you use.

Two months ago, a Redditor shared images of a new "Manage apps & device" section replacing the standard "My apps & games" page we knew and loved. This change loses most of the tabs available in the old interface, like Updates, Installed, Library, Share, and Beta, instead only giving you two sections: Overview and Manage. If you just want to check for updates real quick, the new default Overview page is pretty useless. It only lists a few menu entries and stats about Play Protect, used storage, your ratings and reviews, and options to share apps (useful for those living in markets with limited access to high-speed internet).

Left: Overview. Middle: All installed apps. Right: Installed apps with updates available.

App updates are sort of split between the Overview and Manage tabs, with the button to "Update all" seeming a bit too subtle and easily overlooked in the Overview section of the redesign. When updates are pending, it states the number of apps that are waiting, switching to "All apps are up to date" with the time since your last update if you're all current, plus a "See recent updates" shortcut to the Manage screen and your apps sorted by the date of recent updates. You can swipe back and forth between Overview and Manage, but category labels require a tap.

A version of this redesign also popped up back in 2020, but it disappeared for most people after a while. This latest push is noticeably different, but it's expanding much more widely.

The move sure seems like it's meant to further disincentive people from checking the Play Store for updates. Google previously removed notifications informing about finished automatic app updates, forcing those who want to stay up to date with their changelogs to check back the Play Store regularly or to deactivate auto-updates — giving them notifications about pending updates. With Google and many third-party developers increasingly moving to server-side updates that bring interface and behavior changes to apps without requiring a new download, it could be that easy access to app updates might not be as much of a priority, though it's still an annoying change.

The feature now seems to be rolling out widely as part of a server-side flag/update following last week's expansion, with widespread reports of it appearing on devices in the last day or two. If, for some reason, you're into the design and you don't have it, you can try your luck sideloading the latest version of the Play Store over at APK Mirror.

UPDATE: 2021/05/03 8:51am PDT BY MANUEL VONAU

The redesign already appeared in 2020 for some people before disappearing again for most until now. We've updated the coverage accordingly.

UPDATE: 2021/06/08 1:43pm PDT BY WILL SATTELBERG

Broader availability

More users are reporting that this new layout is now available on their devices. Some of the AP staff have also seen the update on their phones, so we've updated with new screenshots and a better understanding of how the menus work now that we've gotten our hands on it.

UPDATE: 2021/06/15 7:49am PDT BY RYNE HAGER

Wide rollout

A big uptick in reports of the feature's rollout over the last day or two seems to imply the change is starting to roll out widely, and it's now present on all of our devices here at Android Police. Our coverage has been updated.