Google Play is working on new categories of badges for Android’s very best apps

For well over a decade now, Google’s been doing the hard work of stewardship over Android apps: running the Play Store, setting policies, and making sure that Android users everywhere have access to safe, useful mobile software they can rely upon. To say that’s tricky would be an understatement, with Google constantly juggling the priorities of developers, carriers, hardware manufacturers, and all of us end users. Even though that sometimes results in making changes not everyone loves, the company’s always trying to move the ball in the direction of progress, and today Google shares some of its upcoming efforts to further improve the state of Android apps.

Have you noticed badges in the Play Store designating things like official government apps, or those offering legitimate VPN services? Badges like these give users confidence that apps have received extra vetting. Going forward, Google wants to expand this program to feature new badges covering additional app categories.