Google Play Store Testing Simultaneous App Downloads, Updates: Report

Google Play Store is an important tool for anyone with an Android smartphone. It allows users to download and update popular apps, and is the biggest marketplace for apps on the Android platform. Now, the Play Store itself could be getting an important update, which will allow the users to download and update multiple apps simultaneously, thus fixing a major limitation that has existed for years now. Google is said to be testing the feature, and it could eventually roll out for all users in the coming weeks.

Till now, downloading or updating apps on Android has been a time-intensive process, primarily because the Google Play Store only allowed one app to be downloaded or updated at a time. This was particularly bothersome, because a single intensive download or update would hold up other downloads. A report by Android Police now suggests that Google is implementing a server-side change for this, which will roll out gradually.

The change is already visible for some users, who are able to download or update multiple apps simultaneously. Selecting ‘Update All' or manually updating multiple apps now shows downloads take place simultaneously - a key change that has been a long time coming. We tried this ourselves but weren't able to download or update multiple apps together, so it could be a while before the feature reaches everyone.

The report also suggest that Google has activated internal app sharing and implemented a new interface for Google Play Protect. It now shows which apps were recently scanned for harmful behaviour, a move that will help users download and use apps that are safe.