Google hides search results for coronavirus apps in Play Store

Misinformation around the novel coronavirus is in abundance and across different platforms. One possible way Google is working towards this is blocking apps related to coronavirus on Play Store. Any search related to coronavirus on Google Play Store leads to no results.

This was first spotted by 9to5Google which said that the Play Store isn't showing any results for searches related to coronavirus. This can be confirmed as Google is indeed not showing any apps or games for coronavirus. The same happens when you search for COVID-19 on the Play Store.

While this can be assumed as a way of Google tackling misinformation, it could be something else too. There could be a bug in Play Store which is causing any coronavirus-related apps to show up in search results. Google hasn't confirmed on the same as yet. Related search results for coronavirus on Play Store include 'coronavirus games', 'coronavirus game', 'coronavirus map live' and 'coronavirus tracker'.

Google has been doing its bit to help make users aware about the coronavirus. It launched an SOS alert for coronavirus along with the World Health Organisation (WHO) earlier this January. Users who search for coronavirus on Google will now see safety tips, info, resources and Twitter updates from WHO.

Google has also made some features its video conferencing app Hangouts Meet free for G-Suite users. In a bid to help people conduct online meetings and classes, features like adding up to 250 participants and live streaming to 100,000 viewers are free now.