Browsing the Google Play Store

You access the Google Play Store by opening the Play Store app, found on the Apps screen and, possibly, also on the Home screen.

After opening the Play Store app, you see the main screen, similar to what’s shown in Figure 15-1. If not, tap the Side Menu icon (shown in the margin) to display the navigation drawer. Choose Store Home to see the app’s main screen.

To browse, tap a category atop the screen. Available categories include apps, games, movies, TV shows, music, books, and magazines. Suggestions are offered below the main categories, as shown in Figure 15-1. Swipe the suggestions up and down to peruse the lot.

As an example, suppose that you want to browse for an app: Choose the Apps category. The next screen lists popular and featured items plus additional categories you can browse by swiping the screen from right to left. The category titles appear toward the top of the screen.

When you have an idea of what you want, such as an app’s name or even what it does, searching works fastest: Tap the Search icon at the top of the Play Store screen, shown in Figure 15-2. At the main Play Store screen, tap the Google Play bar to search (refer to Figure 15-1). Type all or part of the item’s title, such as an app name, album name, book author, or perhaps a description.

To see more information about an item, tap it. You see a more detailed description, screen shots, or perhaps a video preview, as shown in Figure 15-2.

• The first time you enter the Google Play Store, or after the Play Store app is updated, you have to accept the terms of service. To do so, tap the Accept button.
• You can be assured that all apps that appear in the Google Play Store can be used with your Android tablet. There’s no way to download or buy one that’s incompatible.
• Pay attention to an app’s ratings. Ratings are added by people who use the apps — people like you and me. Having more stars is better. You can see additional information, including individual user reviews, by choosing the app.
• Another good indicator of an app’s success is how many times it’s been downloaded. Some apps have been downloaded more than 10 million times. That’s a good sign.

• In Figure 15-2, the app’s description (on the right) shows the Install button. Other buttons that may appear on an app's description screen include Open, Update, and Uninstall. The Open button opens an app that's already installed on your tablet; the Update button updates an already installed app; and the Uninstall button removes an installed app. See Chapter 18 for more information on app management.

Obtaining an app

After you locate the app you’ve always dreamed of, the next step is to download it, by copying it from the Google Play Store on the Internet into your Android tablet. The app is then installed automatically, building up your collection of apps and expanding what your Android tablet can do.

Good news: Most apps are available for free. Better news: Even the apps you pay for don’t cost dearly. In fact, it seems odd to sit and stew over whether paying 99 cents for a game is worth it.

I recommend that you download a free app first, to familiarize yourself with the process. Then try your hand at a paid app.

Free or not, the process of obtaining an app works pretty much the same. Follow these steps:

1. If possible, activate the Wi-Fi connection to avoid incurring data overages.

   See Chapter 16 for information on connecting your Android tablet to a Wi-Fi network.

2. Open the Play Store app.

3. Find the app you want, and open its description.

   The app’s description screen looks similar to the one shown on the right side in Figure 15-2.

   The difference between a free app and a paid app is found on the button used to obtain the app. For a free app, the button says Install. For a paid app, the button shows the price.

4. Tap the Install button to get a free app; for a paid app, tap the button with the price on it.

   Don’t fret! You’re not buying anything yet.

   You see a screen describing the app’s permissions. The list isn't a warning, and it doesn't mean anything bad. The Play Store is just informing you which of your tablet's features the app could access.

5. Tap the Accept button.

   If you’re purchasing an app, you must tap the Buy button to complete the purchase. See the next section for details.

6. Wait while the app downloads.

   The Downloading notification appears atop the screen as the app is downloaded. You're free to do other things on your tablet while the app is downloaded and installed.

7. Tap the Open button to run the app.

   Or if you were doing something else while the app was downloading and installing, choose the Successfully Installed notification, as shown in the margin. The notification features the app's name with the text Successfully Installed below it.

At this point, what happens next depends on the app you’ve downloaded. For example, you may have to agree to a license agreement. If so, tap the I Agree button. Additional setup may involve setting your location, signing in to an account, or creating a profile.

After you complete the initial app setup, or if no setup is necessary, you can start using the app.

• Apps you download are added to the Apps drawer, made available like any other app on your tablet.
• Some apps may install launcher icons on the Home screen after they’re installed. See Chapter 18 for information on removing the icon from the Home screen, if that is your desire.
• Also see Chapter 18 for information on uninstalling apps.

Purchasing something at the Play Store

To purchase an app, music, eBook, or anything else at the Play Store, you tap the Buy button. A card appears listing available payment methods. These include any credit cards you’ve used previously, plus any redeemed Google credit.

Figure 15-3 shows the Buy card for purchasing an app. The app costs $6.99. The chosen payment method is a Master Card ending in 5501. That payment method is used automatically after the Buy button is tapped.

To select another payment method, follow these steps when the Buy card is presented:

1. Tap the chevron by the price.

   The chevron is shown next to the $6.99 price at the top of Figure 15-3.

2. Choose Payment Methods.

   Of, if you’re fortunate enough to have a Google Play gift card, tap Redeem to cash in.

3. Choose a credit or debit card, PayPal, or a gift card.

   The credit or debit cards listed are those you’ve used before. Don’t worry: Your information is safe.

   If you don’t yet have a credit or debit card registered, choose the option Add Credit or Debit Card, and complete the onscreen steps to set up your payment.

4. Type your Google password.

   This step provides for security. I strongly recommend that you never choose the option Never Ask Me Again.

5. If prompted, tap the Every Time option.

   By choosing this option, you ensure that your password is required for every purchase you make at the Play Store.

At this, point, the item you purchased is made available. Apps are instantly downloaded and installed; music, eBooks, movies, and videos are available but not necessarily downloaded. See the later section “Keeping stuff on the device.”

• Eventually, you receive a Gmail message from the Google Play Store, confirming your purchase. The message contains a link you can select to review the refund policy in case you change your mind about the purchase.
• Be quick on that refund: For a purchased app, you have only two hours to get your money back. You know when the time limit is up, because the Refund button on the app's description screen changes to Uninstall.

Getting more music

The Play Store is also the go-to app for purchasing more music; specifically, for the Play Music app (covered in Chapter 13). To find some tunes, follow these steps:

1. Tap the Music category on the main Play Store screen.

   You can also view the Play Store’s music category from the Play Music app: Tap the Side Menu icon, shown in the margin, and choose Shop from the navigation drawer.

2. Use the Search icon to help you locate music, or just browse the categories.

   Eventually, you see a page showing details about the song or album, similar to what’s shown in Figure 15-4.

   Choose a song from the list to hear a preview. The button next to the song or album indicates the purchase price, or it says Free for free music.

3. Tap the Free button to get a free song, or tap the Price button to purchase a song or an album.

   Don't worry; you're not buying anything yet.

4. To buy music, choose your credit card or payment source.

   Refer to the earlier section “Purchasing something at the Play Store” for purchase details.

5. Tap the Buy or Confirm button.

   The song or album is added to your tablet’s music library.

Refer to Chapter 13 for more information on using the Play Music app to listen to songs obtained from the Google Play Store.

• All music sales are final. Don't blame me; I'm just writing down Google's current policy for music purchases.

• Keep an eye out for special offers at the Play Store. They're a great way to pick up some free songs and albums.

• Music you purchase from the Google Play Store is available on any Android device with the Play Music app installed, providing you use the same Google account on that device. You can also listen to your tunes by visiting the play.google.com/music/listen.com site on any computer connected to the Internet.

Buying eBooks

The process for buying eBooks on your Android tablet works the same as that for buying an app or music: Search for a title or browse the Books section of the Play Store app. Some books, particularly classics, are available for free. Others must be purchased. The steps used in the earlier section “Purchasing something at the Play Store” apply to eBooks as well as apps and music.

See Chapter 14 for information on the Play Books app, your Android tablet’s eBook reader.

Renting or purchasing videos and TV shows

When it comes to movies and TV shows available at the Google Play Store, you have two options: rent or purchase.

When you choose to rent a video, the rental is available to view for the next 30 days. Once you start watching, however, you have only 24 hours to finish — you can also watch the video over and over again during that time span.

Purchasing a video is more expensive than renting it, but you can view the movie or TV show at any time, on any Android device. You can also download the movie so that you can watch it even when an Internet connection isn’t available.

One choice you must make when buying a movie is whether to purchase the SD or HD version. The SD version is cheaper, and the HD version plays at high definition only on certain output devices.

• See the earlier section “Purchasing something at the Play Store” for details on the purchase process.
• See Chapter 14 for information on the Play Movies app.

Using the wish list

While you dither over getting a paid app, music, book, or any other purchase at the Play Store, consider adding it to your wish list: Tap the Wish List icon when viewing the app. The Wish List icon is shown in the margin, although its color changes depending on which category you’re viewing in the Play Store app.

To review your wish list, tap the Side Menu icon in the Play Store app (refer to Figure 15-1). Choose the My Wishlist item from navigation drawer. You see all the items you’ve flagged. When you’re ready to buy, choose one and buy it!

Sharing an item from the Play Store

Sometimes you love your Play Store purchase so much that you just can't contain your glee. When that happens, consider sharing the item. Obey these steps:

1. Open the Play Store app.
2. Browse or search for the app, music, book, or other item you want to share.

3. When you find the item, tap it to view its description screen.

4. Tap the Share icon.

   You may have to swipe down the screen to locate the Share icon, shown in the margin. After tapping the Share icon, you see a menu listing various apps.

5. Choose an app.

   For example, choose Gmail to send a Play Store link in an email message.

6. Use the chosen app to share the link.

   What happens next depends on which sharing method you've chosen.

The end result of these steps is that your friend receives a link. That person can tap the link on his mobile Android device and be whisked instantly to the Google Play Store, where the item can be obtained.

Methods for using the various items on the Share menu are found throughout this book.

Keeping stuff on the device

Books, music, movies, and TV shows you obtain from the Play Store are not copied to your Android tablet. Instead, they’re stored on the Internet. When you access the media, it’s streamed into your device as needed. This setup works well, and it keeps your tablet from running out of storage space, but it works only when an Internet connection is available.

When you plan on being away from an Internet connection, such as when you are flying across country and are too cheap to pay for inflight Wi-Fi, you can download Play Store music, eBook, and movie purchases and save them on your tablet.

To see which media is on your tablet and which isn’t, open the Play Books, Play Music, or Play Movies & TV app. Follow these steps, which work identically in each app:

1. Tap the Side Menu icon.
2. In the navigation drawer, locate the Downloaded Only item.

3. Slide the master control to the On position.

   Just tap the gizmo and it toggles between On and Off settings.

4. Choose the My Library item from the navigation drawer.

   You see only those items on your tablet. The rest of your library, you can assume, is held on the Internet.

To see your entire library again, repeat these steps but in Step 3 slide the master control to the Off position.

Items downloaded to your tablet feature the On Device icon, similar to the one shown in the margin. The icon’s color differs between music, eBooks, and movies.

To keep an item on your tablet, look for the Download icon, shown in the margin. Tap that icon, and the item is fetched from the Internet and stored on your device.

Keeping movies and lots of music on your Android tablet consumes a lot of storage space. That’s okay for short trips and such, but for the long term, consider purging some of your downloaded media.

To remove an item you’ve downloaded, tap the On Device icon. Tap the Remove button to confirm.

Don’t worry about removing downloaded media. You can always access items you’ve purchased (or obtained free) when an Internet connection is active. And you can download items over and over without having to pay again.