Finding an app in the Android Software Store is easy enough when you know the name, but it’s not like Google makes it any easier any other way. What do you need filter results to refine search parameters? The Play Store does not allow it, but there is a solution: PlaySearch. This page is a Swiss army knife for Google Play.
Considering the fact that Google is well known for its search engine, it seems that all of that knowledge doesn’t end up bringing it to its app store. Google applies all the AI to searches, it refines the results to favor quality and even allows you to find your way by categories, but it does not favor something basic: advanced result filtering. By number of permits, by price, whether or not they have ads… As often, there is someone who offers a much better tool than the official one.
The app filtering that Google Play deserves
PlaySearch allows you to filter search results
As someone who constantly searches Google Play to locate content for their articles, I have always missed a advanced filter system to refine each search. For example, today I had a question: how to find the most expensive apps in the store? Google does not offer this option. PlaySearch yes.
The alternative search page to Google Play is developed in open source by Tiana Lemesle, aka KaKi87. Based on the Google API, the demo made on Tiana’s code offers an invaluable tool for those of us who are constantly looking for Android apps. It seems arrogant to me.
PlaySearch is accessible on the web to make it easy to find any app. Just do the search, like you do on Google Play. And it is with the results that the magic happens: PlaySearch filters them by different elements so that it is much easier to locate precisely what is needed.
It allows you to locate apps from cheapest to most expensive, for example; find the ones that require the least permissions from the user; which ones have ads, filter by number of installs, by rating, whether or not they have in-app purchases, and even by Android version. Not only that.
Category selection from results that do not contain ads or in-app purchases
like icing, PlaySearch provides links to download pages. Google Play is one of them, of course it also links the different APKs to give more options to the user (you have to be careful with these files, they might not be completely reliable). All with a somewhat basic but functional interface.
The web offers a maximum of 250 results per search, the maximum allowed by the Google API. has no ads and it is worth saving to favorites. I already have it.
