Google Adds Widget Installs in Play Store 52.4 as Play Services 26.28 Brings Lock-Screen IMEI
Updated
Updated · Android Authority · Jul 21
Google Adds Widget Installs in Play Store 52.4 as Play Services 26.28 Brings Lock-Screen IMEI
3 articles · Updated · Android Authority · Jul 21
Summary
Play Store v52.4 now lets users add an app’s widget to the home screen during installation, a new Android setup shortcut Google is rolling out server-side.
Play Services v26.28 also adds an option to show a phone’s IMEI on the lock screen, aimed at helping recover lost or stolen devices while leaving the setting under user control.
The same Play Services update enables audio permission requests inside WebViews and brings Android Credential Manager support to Android TV, including saved passwords, passkeys, and phone-based authentication.
Play Store changes also include natural-language queries, a two-line search box and suggestions, plus limited mobile-data app restores in India, Nigeria, and Indonesia.
The features extend Google’s July 2026 Android system update, which is rolling out gradually across Play services and the Play Store rather than appearing immediately on all devices.