If you’ve ever downloaded an app on a tablet only to find out that it has a phone-shaped interface that occupies only the centre of the screen, surrounded by black bars on both sides, Google has finally acknowledged your pain. 

An upcoming Play Store update (version 51.2) introduces a new badge system that will clearly mark apps built to utilise large screens, saving tablet and foldable users time by letting them quickly see which apps actually look right on their devices. 

What does the new badge actually tell you?

The new badge appears on an app’s Play Store listing. It signals that the app is optimised for devices with large screen estates, implying that the interface scales to fill the entire display instead of defaulting to a stretched phone layout. 

Version 51.2 also brings a couple of other improvements, including an additional content rating view on app listings, subscription plan details visible within app reviews, and gives tablet users access to Collections via a long-press on the Play Store icon. 

When is the new Google Play Store update actually rolling out?

As mentioned previously, the additions are a part of an upcoming Play Store update; they’re not live yet. For now, no specific date or launch timeline has been confirmed. 

However, the timing looks deliberate. According to a report by Android Police, Google is working on Aluminium OS, a combined Android and ChromeOS platform. Getting Play Store badges in place suggests that the company is thinking well beyond smartphones. 

For anyone using a Samsung Galaxy Z foldable or tablet, a Pixel foldable or tablet, or another large-screen Android device, the upcoming Google Play Store update is worth watching.