Some Google Play Store apps may soon tempt you with cheap intro subscription plans

Many Android apps published in the Google Play Store offer subscription services at various price levels. Today, Google announced that apps that offer those kinds of subscription features will soon be able to bring in more customers through the use of lower introductory offers.

In a blog post for the company’s latest Playtime developer event in San Francisco, Google said that app subscription operators will be able to set a lower price for their services for a set amount and length of time. For example, if Hulu wanted to offer new Android users $1 a month to try out its video streaming service for the first three months, the company will soon be able to do that within the Google Play Store app. In theory, this move should allow for a boost in subscription numbers and revenue and allow consumers to try out a service at a cheaper price before committing to a long-term period at full price. The company did not offer an exact date for when these features will go live for developers.

Google also announced that it has seen some success with two recent Play Store features. One is pre-registration for upcoming apps, with Google noting that it has seen 30 million installs so far for apps like Clash Royale and Candy Crush Jelly Saga that have used this addition. Pre-registration for apps is limited at the moment and Google did not state any plans to expand the program.

Another recent feature is Early Access, which lets developers release early versions of apps in the Play Store as open betas, in order to get more feedback from customers. Google says that it has seen 4 million installs of these Early Access apps since the program launched a few months ago.