Google Play


 * Not to be confused with Google Store or Google Pay.

Google Play (also branded as the Google Play Store and formerly Android Market) is a digital distribution service operated and developed by Google. It serves as the official app store for certified devices running on the Android operating system and its derivatives as well as Chrome OS, allowing users to browse and download applications developed with the Android software development kit (SDK) and published through Google. It also serves as a digital media store, offering music, books, movies, and television programs. Content that has been purchased on Google Play Movies & TV and Google Play Books can be accessed on a web browser, and through the Android and iOS apps.

There are a few services available under the Google Play brand: the Google Play Games online gaming service, Google Play Books ebook digital distribution service, and Google Play Pass games and apps subscription service. Google TV, a video on demand service offering movies and TV shows, was known previously as Google Play Movies & TV; Google Play Music, a music and podcast streaming service, was shut down and succeeded by YouTube Music; and Google Play Newsstand, a news aggregator and digital newsstand service, was merged with other services to form Google News.

History
Google Play originated as a combination of three distinct products: Android Market, Google Music, and Google eBookstore. The Android Market was released on August 28, 2008 and made publicly available on October 22. Google eBookstore was launched on December 6, 2010, debuting with three million ebooks. Google Music was announced in November 2011.

In March 2012, the Android Market was rebranded as Google Play.