Google plans to highlight apps that work well on foldable phones and tablets

Four years ago, Google launched a special version of Android—Android 12L—to bring features that take better advantage of bigger screens on foldable phones and tablets. Since then, Google has optimized several of its apps for tablets, and Samsung has done the same for several stock One UI apps. Some popular third-party app developers have also made big-screen optimized apps for Android devices.

Now, Google is planning to take a new step in the same direction.

According to the changelog (via Android Authority) of the latest version (51.2) of Google Play Services, apps that are optimized for big-screen devices like foldable phones and tablets will be highlighted in the Play Store through a badge. A badge that shows big screen-optimized apps will help users in finding apps that take advantage of the extra screen real estate.

The possibility of improved visibility could entice developers to make big-screen optimized Android apps.

This version of the Play Store isn't rolling out yet, but given that the changelog is already public, the new version could be released soon.

This move is a part of Google's wider push towards big-screen devices. The company is expected to launch an Android-powered version of ChromeOS later this year, and big-screen optimized apps could improve adoption of ChromeOS devices.