The next time you vibe-code a custom app with Google’s AI Studio, you won’t have to connect your phone to a computer to install it. On Tuesday, Google announced a new feature in the US that will allow you to launch personal apps directly through the Play Store.
Google first launched the ability to vibe-code personal Android apps in May. Even though you can now launch your custom apps in Google Play, the company notes it will continue to keep them “secure, private, and separate from the public store catalog.” You can also launch them using a standard Google account, and the company will soon add the ability to share your app with a select group of people, too.
Though this might make it easier to play around with experimental apps, Google is positioning it as an on-ramp of sorts for fledgling developers. “If you want to share your app with the world, Google Play helps you graduate to a professional developer account with the same Trust & Safety reviews and high-quality standards as professional developers,” Sam Bright, Google’s vice president and general manager of Google Play, writes in the announcement.