Google Rolls Out New Shortcut for Play Store Collections

In 2024, Google teased a new Play Store feature called “Cubes,” which eventually launched in September as “Collections.” This widget focuses on showcasing content within apps rather than their functionality. However, after its debut five months ago, Collections had largely gone quiet—until now. Google appears to be testing a fresh way to access this feature.

Starting Monday, a new home screen shortcut for Collections is appearing for some users. You can find it by long-pressing the Play Store icon, where it shows up below the existing My apps shortcut. While it doesn’t have a dedicated icon yet, this is only noticeable when you drag the shortcut to your home screen, where it looks a bit unfinished.

This shortcut seems to be arriving as part of a phased rollout. It’s currently visible on some devices running Play Store versions 44.8.16 and 44.9.19. However, many other devices with the same versions don’t have access, suggesting Google is either A/B testing or slowly rolling out the feature through server-side updates.

Interestingly, this shortcut was discovered in development before the official Collections widget launched. During its early testing phase—when it was internally code-named “Cubes”—the shortcut included a placeholder icon resembling a line-art cube.

When you use the new shortcut, it takes you to Collections within the Play Store app. Here, you’ll see a pop-up encouraging you to See widget options. Even after dismissing this, a persistent See widget options button remains at the bottom of the menu, above a tray of apps. It looks like Google still prefers you to access Collections via the home screen widget, as the shortcut heavily pushes this option.

As Google continues refining this feature, keep an eye out for the update on your device. It’s a small but interesting addition that hints at Google’s ongoing efforts to enhance app discovery and Play Store usability.