Google could be readying a "Play Pass" subscription for Android apps and games

Would you pay a flat monthly fee for all the Android apps and games you wanted? Google could be asking you the same question very soon – code buried in the Play Store app makes reference to a "Play Pass" service, as discovered by XDA Developers.

With no official word from Google we don't have much to go on here, but the idea could be to offer Android users a certain amount of apps and games for one fixed monthly fee. Just like Netflix, in other words, but instead of getting movies and shows streamed to your devices, you get your pick of goods from the Play Store.

It's possible that some premium apps and games would be excluded from the deal, but this is all speculation at the moment. The hidden code suggests something new is on the way, but whether Google finally gives it the green light remains to be seen.

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What we do know is the subscription model is certainly hit right now – with the likes of Netflix and Spotify leading the way. Apple is rumored to be working on a news subscription service, while Amazon of course has its own Amazon Prime membership.

The code was actually spotted a few months ago, but one Android user has recently been quizzed in a survey from Google about a possible app store subscription service, XDA Developers reports. It would seem Google is at least toying with the idea of offering a subscription package, though presumably individual purchases would still be allowed.

With Apple's App Store famously pulling in much more cash for itself and for developers than the Google Play Store, perhaps Google is thinking about ways of trying to redress the balance, though we'll have to wait and see whether Play Pass sees the light of day.