If you need a refresher on how to download the Play Store APK and install it on your Android, you can find instructions at the bottom of this post. But! There’s some kind of cool stuff we want to talk about today that has to do with the newest versions of Google Play, Android OS and the brand new devices that Google will be putting on the market very soon. If you’ve been hearing about new “app shortcuts” and wondered what that’s all about, you’re going to want to read this.
Play Store 7.1.14 with smart app shortcuts
In some of the past Play Store updates, we mentioned a new feature in development called app shortcuts. The name doesn’t do it justice in my opinion, and others are calling them “quickcuts” which I think is more appropriate; maybe it’s just because I came of age in the PC era, not the mobile era, but the word “shortcut”, for me, is synonymous with icon. But these new Play Store app shortcuts are much more than just icons on your Android device’s screen.
Basically, they allow you to access common app functions without having to open the app first and then go to that function. By pressing and holding on the icon, you get a small menu of quick access functions. For example, a messaging app might create a shortcut to your chats with your favorite contacts, and a general “new message” shortcut. The app would open and take you directly there with just the one tap from your home screen.
Downloading Play Store 7.1.14 APK, unfortunately, isn’t enough to get access to this cool feature. Originally, it was only going to be available on Google’s own Pixel phones and possibly their newer tablets, and would require Android Nougat 7.1 in order to work. However, we have two alternatives that you can use depending on your Android OS version to get to use these smart app shortcuts. Both options are free in the Google Play Store.
Getting app shortcuts in Google Play Store
For those of you who are lucky enough to have Android 7.1 already, you can use the free app Action Launcher, which has been working hard to make app shortcuts available even before Google makes them official. Anyone who has Android 5.1 or 6.0 has another option, Nova Launcher, although you might have to wait for version 5.0 to go public in the Play Store (or request to be a beta tester).
Simply go into the Play Store and search for the appropriate launcher app, and soon you’ll have an even more efficient device with these shortcuts on your screen.
How to download Play Store 7.1.14 APK
If you happen to be reading this on a computer or some device other than the one you want to update Play Store on, take a second to come back to this article on your Android device. Tap on the Play Store 7.1.14 APK download link on this page, save the file, and then go into your device’s security settings. You’ll find an option called “unknown sources” with a check box next to it – make sure the box is checked.
When the APK file is finished downloading, you should get a notification. Simply tap on that notification to open the file in the official installer program for Android. Now, just select “install”, accept the permissions just like you would when installing any other app, and in a minute you’ll be up and running with the official, latest version of Play Store from Google.