Play Store 7.3.07: What’s new

Google released not one but two Play Store APK updates earlier today, one of them carrying version 7.2.25, while the other one — and admittedly, more interesting one — with version 7.3.07. We cracked in the APK of Play Store 7.3.07 and found some changes in the code that we think Google would implement in the Play Store in coming few weeks or so. Oh BTW, the 7.2.25 version doesn’t look like packing in any changes.

And there’s a UI change too. The image above depicts two changes we spotted on Google Play Store on the app screen. The one on the left shows how the app info page looks on Play Store 7.3.07, while the one on the right shows how it looked on Play Store 7.2.13.

On the 7.3.07, the app info screen now shows ‘content rating‘ above the (big) Install button, while the app’s ‘category‘ is shown right above the screenshots. These two pieces of info were also provided in the old UI with small Install button, but were missing on the new UI with large Install button.

You may also spot the color change, but that’s not exactly new, as somehow, we got the big Install button UI first, and then the darker green color, while many users reported that they started seeing the darker green color on the old UI with small Install button.

Now, some changes we spotted in the Play Store APK 7.3.07, that hints us at different changes and new stuff Google may be planning for the Play Store app.

Play Store 7.3.07: What’s new

1. Advertisement debugging and preview

<string name=”debug_menu_ad_information”>Ad Information</string>
<string name=”debug_menu_creative_preview”>Creative Preview</string>
<string name=”debug_menu_title”>Select a Debug Mode</string>
<string name=”debug_menu_troubleshooting”>Troubleshooting</string>

It seems Google is making it easy for advertisers to check out how their Ad would look in the Play Store app, using debugging. The Creative preview option would allow them to do so.

2. Use WiFi only for Play Store, not only when downloading

<string name=”use_wifi_action”>Use Wi-Fi</string>
<string name=”connect_to_wifi”>Connect to Wi-Fi to continue</string>

In case you wished your Play Store never used your mobile data, especially when you have apps on auto-update, which most of us do, then you would be able to simple choose WiFi as the only Internet connection to be used for the app with this ‘use Wi-Fi’ options in Settings, which we don’t see currently on our play store. When the WiFi isn’t available, you may be greeted with an error (2nd line of code above).

3. Notify when Internet connection is available

<string name=”deeplink_loading_network_error_body”>No internet connection. Notify you when you can view this page?</string>
<string name=”deeplink_loading_network_error_body_submitted”>We will notify you when connection comes back</string>
<string name=”deeplink_loading_network_error_notify”>Notify</string>
<string name=”deeplink_loading_network_error_title”>“Can’t load page”</string>
<string name=”deeplink_loading_network_error_title_submitted”>Submitted!</string>
<string name=”reconnection_notification_message”>View the page that you tried to open earlier</string>
<string name=”reconnection_notification_title”>Internet connection restored</string>

If you jump to a play store page when the internet connection isn’t available, you will have an option to make Play Store app notify you to re-visit that page (app info screen perhaps) when you have Internet connection. In case you are having trouble imagining a scenario when you jump to Play Store without having an Internet connection, then this is how this could happen. You are using your Android device on mobile data, and find a play store link for an app on the web, but have the Play Store set to ‘Use Wi-Fi’ only, then it will remind you to check that app on play store when you have the WiFi connection.

4. Other changes

<string name=”vr_setup_pin”>To complete this purchase, you must exit VR to setup a Google PIN.</string>
<string name=”wallet_uic_android_app_redirect_canceled”>Your transaction has been canceled</string>
<string name=”wallet_uic_android_app_redirect_canceled_title”>Transaction canceled</string>
<string name=”wallet_uic_android_app_redirect_indeterminate_title”>Completing purchase…</string>
<string name=”wearsky_updates_needed_over_wifi”>Wear needs to update your apps</string>
<string name=”about_the_tv_show”>About the TV show</string>

Other changes in the Play Store 7.3.07 are pretty minimal and mostly deal with notifying things to you. Like, in VR, you need to exit VR to setup a Google Pin. An error saying your transaction has been canceled, or Android Wear needing to update your apps, and lastly, for the TV shows, it will specifically read as ‘About the TV show’ now.

Posted by
Kapil Malani

A die-hard Liverpool FC fan, Kapil is a big fan of Batman, Android and street Cricket. In that order, probably. Email: [email protected]