Google testing advertising apps for Play Store search: Report

According to a report by 9to5Google, the Play Store currently shows users the last four searches when they tap on the search field.

Google is testing advertising applications for the Play Store search. According to a report by 9to5Google, the Play Store currently shows users the last four searches when they tap on the search field.

The author of the report said by clicking on the search field on one Android device, running the 33.0.17-21 version of the Play Store, the field showed three applications that the author never searched for.

The applications were all games, complete with their icons, the report said. The games were Call of Duty (COD) Mobile Season 10, Fishdom Solitaire and Summoners War: Chronicles.

However, it highlighted that it was not certain whether the above three applications were paid to appear or whether they were suggestions. A quick look at the Games tab on the Playstore did not show any of these games in the "Ads-supported “Suggested for you” carousel, the report added.

The report also said the change could possibly be related to the most recent Google Play System Update that included “new formats for search results” and new features to help users to discover applications and games they love.

In September, cybersecurity experts warned of a new malware Harly which could drain users' bank accounts. According to Kaspersky, over 190 applications infected with this trojan were found on the Play Store.