ADVERTISING word cloud, business conceptIf you really don’t like advertisements in your e-reader or other app experiences, Google is about to help you with your download decisions. TechCrunch reports that Google is in the process of rolling out a version of the Play Store that will tell you whether an app contains ads before you download it. The current version advises you of in-app purchases, but the new one will also include mention of ads in the same place, right below the download button. None of my devices seem to have access to that version yet, but it’s supposed to roll out globally over the next couple of weeks.

The free versions of many e-reader apps, such as Moon+ Reader and UB Reader, do contain ads in their book listing or loading screens. Given how many people have complained about Amazon’s Kindle or Fire devices that come with Special Offers, this can be a dealbreaker for some readers, and the apps’ descriptions aren’t always forthright about the advertisements. It should save some wasted time by readers who download the apps and then discover the advertisements, at least.

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