Slashdot has reported:

Google Play is adding support for personal Android apps that creators can build and run on their own devices without making them public in the Play Store. The feature will initially be available to users in the United States who are 18 or older, and the apps must follow Google Play’s existing policies.

Users will be able to create apps with tools such as Google AI Studio and launch them for personal use. The apps will not appear in Google Play search results or listing pages, and they will not be shared with anyone other than their creators, according to TechCrunch, as cited by Slashdot.

The feature comes as more people experiment with using artificial intelligence to make apps for specific personal needs. Until now, using a self-built app on an Android device required publishing it on Google Play, where it could be accessible to the store’s roughly 3 billion users. As a result, many people limited their experiments to web apps that run across devices instead of building native Android apps.

Google plans to let creators share their apps with a trusted network of friends in the coming months. Small groups could use apps made for family members, friends or a child’s T-ball league without making them public on the Play Store.

The company also plans to provide a way to move a personal app to a public Google Play listing if it becomes popular. Before release to all users, the app would need to complete trust and safety reviews. Google’s announcement was described as opening a more direct way for Android device owners to experiment with building apps for their own use.