Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Google Play Store now allows users to find relevant information buried in app reviews.
- A search bar now appears at the top of reviews, where users can look for specific terms.
- The feature is beginning to roll out with a recent Play Store update.
Not everyone has the time or patience to test out Android apps before committing to them, especially when there’s an overwhelming variety to choose from. And that’s where app reviews on the Google Play Store come to help. But scouring through hundreds or thousands of reviews, when you’re looking to answer a specific doubt, can be toilsome. That’s thankfully being fixed, as Google now offers search functionality for reviews.
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With a new search feature on the Play Store, you can now look for specific information in user reviews under app listings. Back in November, we spotted the functionality being tested, but we couldn’t get it to work at the time. However, Google recently confirmed that it’s now rolling out with a recent Play Store update.
To access the search function, tap the ratings at the top of any app, then tap “See all reviews.” Alternatively, you can scroll down to the Reviews and ratings section, and right under the AI-generated reviews summary, you will notice a magnifying lens icon. Tapping it moves the review section to the top of the screen, and here you’ll notice a search bar.
When you type a few words in the search bar and then tap the search icon on the keyboard, you will see reviews with those terms getting listed.
Currently, reviews don’t populate as you type, and the feature only looks for reviews with specific matches to your search queries. We hope Google can implement some sort of semantic search support where users don’t have to type the exact terms. For the time being, you can use suggestions under the search bar for popular issues. Another limitation we’ve noticed is that it won’t show results if you type a single word, and you, therefore, must type a couple of words to fetch results.
Search in Play Store revies is rolling out to all users with version 50.7.24-31 of the Play Store. If you don’t see it already, you can update the Store with the following steps. Tap your profile picture on the Play Store’s homepage, scroll down, and tap Settings > About > Update Play Store.
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