According to Android Police, Google is working on a game-changing feature for the Play Store that would finally make user reviews searchable. The discovery came from digging through version 48.7.17-31 of the Google Play Store app, where code strings explicitly reference “Search reviews” functionality. Currently, users can only sort reviews by star ratings, positivity, or predefined topics, but this new feature would add a dedicated search bar. The same build contains an ‘AllReviewsPage__enable_search_bar variable’ flag, strongly indicating active development. While the actual UI couldn’t be enabled yet, this represents Google’s attempt to solve the pain point of finding specific information buried in reviews. However, there’s no guarantee this feature will actually launch, as it could join Google’s infamous graveyard of unreleased products.
Why this matters more than you think
Here’s the thing about app reviews – they’re basically useless when you’re looking for something specific. Want to know if that banking app works with your particular phone model? Good luck scrolling through hundreds of “great app” comments. The current sorting options are frankly inadequate for real-world use cases. And let’s be honest, who actually reads more than the first dozen reviews anyway?
But this potential feature raises some interesting questions. Will it actually work well, or will it be another half-baked Google implementation? I’m skeptical about how effective the search will be across different languages and review quality. Plus, there’s the whole issue of review spam and fake reviews – will searching just make it easier to find manipulated content?
Google’s spotty feature history
Look, we’ve been here before with Google. They test features constantly, and many never see the light of day. Remember when they were going to revolutionize app discovery with something better than what we have now? Yeah, me neither. The fact that they’re hiding this behind a feature flag suggests it’s still very experimental.
And honestly, why has this taken so long? Amazon has had searchable reviews for years. Apple’s App Store still doesn’t have this either, but that’s not exactly a high bar to clear. It’s 2024 – shouldn’t we expect basic search functionality in one of the world’s largest app marketplaces?
What better review search could mean
If Google actually delivers this properly, it could fundamentally change how we evaluate apps. Imagine being able to search for “battery drain” or “login issues” and instantly see if multiple users report the same problems. That’s powerful stuff when you’re deciding whether to trust an app with your data or money.
But the real test will be in the execution. Will it understand synonyms and related terms? Can it filter out irrelevant results? Basically, will it work like a proper search engine, or will it be another disappointing implementation that makes us wonder why Google of all companies can’t get search right in their own products?
For now, we wait and see. But if this feature does launch, it might actually make reading reviews worth the effort again.
