Google also laid out a list of the best runners-up:

Google Play dropped its 2024 picks, celebrating the best in apps, games, books, and multi-device options. Partiful won Best App for reinventing event planning, with its easy-to-use "Party Genie" tool for quick invite creation.

With 2024 winding down soon, Google Play today named the best Android apps and games of the year. These lists are

From ad-filled home pages to a cluttered search tab, the modern Play Store is a miserable experience no matter how you look at it

Live threat detection was one of the standouts when Android 15 was trailed earlier this year. Using on-device AI, the idea is that users will be warned in real time if an app is exhibiting potentially malicious behavior, before it’s flagged across the board by Play Protect.

The Google Play Store offers access to thousands of apps and games, but if you're in an area with a spotty connection, downloads can often fail to complete. When this happens, you usually have to restart the download from scratch. However, it seems the Play Store may soon introduce a resume download feature to help solve this issue.