The Google Play Store has introduced a significant enhancement, enabling Android users to download multiple apps simultaneously, a notable departure from its previous single-download limitation aimed at improving user efficiency and experience.
First reported by 9to5Google and widely accessible on various Android devices, this feature permits users to initiate up to two simultaneous app downloads. However, it’s important to note that this limit falls short of earlier expectations, as initial leaks had suggested a capacity for at least five simultaneous downloads.
To ensure the visibility of newly downloaded apps, users may need to adjust settings and enable the addition of app icons to the home screen through Pixel phones’ Home settings.
We tested the multiple downloads feature on Android 13 and others tested it on Android 14, working fine on both.
Downloading more than two apps puts the third app in a pending state only after one of the two previous apps has been completely downloaded.
Although the new functionality is useful, users are disappointed that Google has not expanded it to allow multiple updates. Google is expected to expand this functionality to updates soon.
Google Play Store has recently initiated several features to enhance user experience. The integration of AI-generated FAQs allows more intuitive browsing on Android devices.
In October 2023, Google enhanced Play Protect’s code-level scanning to identify and isolate malware strains in sideloaded apps in real-time. In February 2023, Mozilla reported that Google’s data privacy labels were incosistent, and several apps showed discrepancies.
In December 2023, Google allowed users to uninstall an app from their Android device remotely.
Google has been testing multiple download feature since 2019, but it could have been more expansive. Hopefully, Google will add new features soon.
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