App developers should be able to make money from their creations, whether
via ads, purchases, or subscriptions. The first step to successfully
monetizing is getting your app discovered.
Now that Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) can be listed in Google Play, we’re
excited to announce that web developers can use Google Play payments in
their PWA on Chromebooks and Android devices. This makes it even easier
to get your PWA in front of more users and start accepting simple, secure
payments by listing in Google Play.
A new way to connect with Chromebook users
Since their release, Chromebooks and
Chrome OS have proven that a device built around the web can make
computing easier, faster, and more secure. Last year, we expanded
high-quality app experiences beyond mobile by
adding support for
PWAs on Chrome OS. And that’s clearly resonated with users — in the
past year, Chromebook unit sales have grown 85% year over year
(YOY)1, and PWA installs more than doubled2.
With all the new capabilities being added to web apps — from saving to
the local file system to device communication — we saw an opportunity
to highlight the best experiences for Chromebook users.
Search continues to be a quick and easy way to discover new web apps,
but many people are also turning to app stores to find the best software
for their device in one place. That’s why we gave developers the ability
to list their PWA in Google Play on Chrome OS using
Trusted Web Activity.
Now, users can discover web apps by browsing through collections
and curated recommendations in the Play Store. And once they install it,
they’ll be able to enjoy the full-screen app experience they love,
powered by Chrome.
Brands like Kapwing, an online
image, video, and GIF editing platform, have already seen impressive
results after launching their PWA:
"In the first five weeks of launching our PWA-ified website, the number of
people creating videos through the PWA grew 36%. This growth in
usage outpaced overall growth on the website, indicating higher
retention among creators who installed the PWA."
- Julia Enthoven, CEO of Kapwing
Streamlined secure payments
If your app accepts payments, you can simplify the process by
using the
Digital Goods API with Google Play. This feature is ready to start
testing behind a flag in Chrome OS 88 and will launch with Chrome OS 89
in March 2021.
These APIs allow you to offer in-app payments and subscriptions with a
single click, and users see the same, familiar Google Play billing flow
with the ability to save credits or payment information.
More amazing apps coming to Chrome OS
We’ve already seen
great responses to PWAs on Chromebooks
— users enjoying the advanced graphics on
Adobe Spark and
Corel’s Gravit Designer,
sharper video editing with Clipchamp,
and more powerful viewing experiences on
YouTube TV. We’re excited to share
that all of these experiences will arrive in the Play Store as soon as
the Digital Goods API arrives in Chrome OS 89.
It’s incredible to see the journey of developers as they build their web
apps for larger screens. We can’t wait to showcase amazing web apps like
these on Google Play — and we hope to see yours there soon!
Posted by PJ McLachlan & Tom Buckley
Sources:
1 The NPD Group, Inc., U.S. Retail Tracking Service, Notebook Computers, based on unit sales, Jan.–Aug. 2020.
2 Chrome usage metrics, Dec. 2019–Dec. 2020.
