Skip to main content

Google undergoes yet another rebrand, this time with Google Play and Android

Trusted Contacts
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Why mention work if you don’t have to? That appears to be the question Google is raising (and answering) in its decision to rename a couple of its services. Google Play for Work, which allows organizations to send public and private Android apps to specific devices, has now been rebranded as Google Play, whereas Android for Work, which separates business from personal apps and content, will now be known as Android. Simple, straightforward, and efficient.

“With platform-level support shipping with every GMS [Google Mobile Services] compatible device, Android for Work and Play for Work have become a core part of Android and Google Play,” Google software engineer Adam Connors and product manager Travis McCoy wrote in a blog post announcing the change. “We think this change better reflects the built-in nature of enterprise features of Android and our commitment to enterprise mobility.” In a separate blog post, Google added, “The simplified branding reflects that the APIs these products use have been integrated into Android and Google Play, respectively, and the separate branding is no longer needed.”

So what else is new, other than the name? Well, not much at all. The sparse details can be found here.

Connors and McCoy simply pointed out that Android’s improved capabilities have allowed partners to unlock new use cases, with the open platform powering “a growing range of purpose-built devices from leading manufacturers such as Zebra and Honeywell that can help companies and their employees work in new ways.”

All the same, Google seems committed to further improving its mobile technology and determining how it might benefit businesses, with Google Play and Android leading that charge. If you’re interested in helping accelerate that improvement, you might want to check out the Android Enterprise Partner Summit in January for Google’s Android partners — you can apply to attend here.

Lulu Chang
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Fascinated by the effects of technology on human interaction, Lulu believes that if her parents can use your new app…
It just got easier to protect your Android phone from thieves
Android 15 theft protection.

With the release of Android 15 on Pixel devices, Google has introduced several new privacy and security enhancements. Among the notable additions are the improved theft protection features that are designed to make it harder for thieves to access your data. Initially, it was a bit difficult to find these settings. However, as Android Authority first noted, that's about to change.

When Android 15 launched, to find the theft protection menu on devices running Android 15, you had to follow these steps:

Read more
Android 15 is now rolling out to Pixels. Here’s what’s new
Android 15 logo on a Google Pixel 8.

The wait for a next-generation Android experience is finally over. Google today released the public version of Android 15, and it is now making its way to compatible phones, starting with the company’s Pixel series of smartphones.

Among the key areas where Android 15 brings the biggest set of upgrades are safety and privacy. To that end, users will soon be able to create a safe space for all their sensitive apps, locked behind their device’s local password or biometric layer.

Read more
Vuzix upgrades M400 smart glasses to Android 13, boosting security
Vuzix M400 AR glasses sit on a dummy.

Vuzix has upgraded its flagship M400 enterprise smart glasses with Android 13, offering businesses a more secure, efficient way to manage their wearable tech.

The update ensures that users benefit from advanced security protocols and improved device management, making it easier for companies to deploy these smart glasses across large teams while maintaining the highest levels of security.

Read more