Play Store 4.4.21 Update Brings Slide-Out Navigation Drawer

Earlier today, Google started rolling out a significant update to its Play Store app. The updated carries a version number seemingly intended to troll us, coming in at version 4.4.21 and replacing the previous 4.3.11 version.

So what’s new in this Play Store update? So far, we haven’t noticed any chances with regards to functionality. Rather, this update brings a relatively significant overhaul to the app’s interface. The most noticeable change in 4.4.21 is is the incorporation of the slide-out navigation drawer first officially introduced at Google I/O 2013. Unfortunately, the much rumored card-style UI update has yet to make an appearance.

The (relatively new) slide-out navigation drawer UI paradigm, which was first seen in rudimentary form in Google’s YouTube app, is aimed at keeping content as the primary focus, with little space wasted by permanent navigation buttons. Accordingly, the new Play Store update is able to display more information, while decreasing overall clutter and providing more streamlined interface navigation.

While the update is currently rolling out gradually to all users, some of us may be a little too excited to wait. Those wishing to get their hands on the update a bit early can do so  thanks to XDA Senior Member proseray, who created a thread with the application mirrored for users to install manually.

Have you gotten the new update yet? If so, are you a fan of the slide-out navigation drawer? Let us know in the comments section below!