In this case, the difference between in and on boils down to which Dimensional Metaphor the speaker (or writer) is applying.

From the Deixis Lectures:

".. the preposition on is said to ascribe to the referent of its head noun the property of being a line or a surface, and the preposition in is said to ascribe to the referent of its head noun the notion of a bounded two-dimensional or three-dimensional space."

We daily encounter and use dimensional metaphors with on and in for things that are not physical.

• 2-Dimensional: on the page, on the table, on vacation, on top of the problem, on Sunday
• 3-Dimensional: in trouble, in on the secret, in the novel, in the time alotted, in March

That's the difference between lawn and yard, for instance.

• A lawn is a two-dimensional space, so a human being can be on the lawn; but understanding a report that someone is in the lawn requires some unusual assumptions.

• A yard is a bounded two-dimensional space, and its bounding makes it three-dimensional with regard to human presence. Thus one is in the yard, and saying on the yard invites a mental search for a different meaning of yard.

Executive summary:

1. If you think of Google Play as a container full of stuff, use in.
2. If you think of it as a page on a screen, use on.

In this case, the difference between in and on boils down to which Dimensional Metaphor the speaker (or writer) is applying.

From the Deixis Lectures:

".. the preposition on is said to ascribe to the referent of its head noun the property of being a line or a surface, and the preposition in is said to ascribe to the referent of its head noun the notion of a bounded two-dimensional or three-dimensional space."

We daily encounter and use dimensional metaphors with on and in for things that are not physical.

• 2-Dimensional: on the page, on the table, on vacation, on top of the problem, on Sunday
• 3-Dimensional: in trouble, in on the secret, in the novel, in the time alotted, in March

That's the difference between lawn and yard, for instance.

• A lawn is a two-dimensional space, so a human being can be on the lawn; but understanding a report that someone is in the lawn requires some unusual assumptions.

• A yard is a bounded two-dimensional space, and its bounding makes it three-dimensional with regard to human presence. Thus one is in the yard, and saying on the yard invites a mental search for a different meaning of yard.

Executive summary:

1. If you think of Google Play as a container full of stuff, use in.
2. If you think of it as a page on a screen, use on.

In this case, the difference between in and on boils down to which Dimensional Metaphor the speaker (or writer) is applying.

From the Deixis Lectures:

".. the preposition on is said to ascribe to the referent of its head noun the property of being a line or a surface, and the preposition in is said to ascribe to the referent of its head noun the notion of a bounded two-dimensional or three-dimensional space."

We daily encounter and use dimensional metaphors with on and in for things that are not physical.

• 2-Dimensional: on the page, on the table, on vacation, on top of the problem, on Sunday
• 3-Dimensional: in trouble, in on the secret, in the novel, in the time alotted, in March

That's the difference between lawn and yard, for instance.

• A lawn is a two-dimensional space, so a human being can be on the lawn; but understanding a report that someone is in the lawn requires some unusual assumptions.

• A yard is a bounded two-dimensional space, and its bounding makes it three-dimensional with regard to human presence. Thus one is in the yard, and saying on the yard invites a mental search for a different meaning of yard.

Executive summary:

1. If you think of Google Play as a container full of stuff, use in.
2. If you think of it as a page on a screen, use on.

In this case, the difference between in and on boils down to which Dimensional Metaphor the speaker (or writer) is applying.

From the Deixis Lectures:

".. the preposition on is said to ascribe to the referent of its head noun the property of being a line or a surface, and the preposition in is said to ascribe to the referent of its head noun the notion of a bounded two-dimensional or three-dimensional space."

We daily encounter and use dimensional metaphors with on and in for things that are not physical.

• 2-Dimensional: on the page, on the table, on vacation, on top of the problem, on Sunday
• 3-Dimensional: in trouble, in on the secret, in the novel, in the time alotted, in March

That's the difference between lawn and yard, for instance.

• A lawn is a two-dimensional space, so a human being can be on the lawn; but understanding a report that someone is in the lawn requires some unusual assumptions.

• A yard is a bounded two-dimensional space, and its bounding makes it three-dimensional with regard to human presence. Thus one is in the yard, and saying on the yard invites a mental search for a different meaning of yard.

Executive summary:

1. If you think of Google Play as a container full of stuff, use in.
2. If you think of it as a page on a screen, use on.