They say that Android is just terrible with updates. But it is not so. The fact is that the operating system is not to blame for the fact that independent manufacturers refuse to adapt new versions of the OS for their smartphones. Meanwhile, Google itself is making every effort to keep Android devices up to date. In addition to annual operating system updates, the search giant releases monthly security patches and Google Play system updates that no one has ever heard of.
Google Play system updates appeared only in Android 10
Google Play slows down. What to do
Google Play system updates were introduced only last year, with the launch of Android 10. This is a kind of analogue of monthly security patches, the difference between which is that Google Play system updates are released and distributed by Google itself. However, they exist parallel to each other and pursue different goals. If monthly security updates are aimed at eliminating vulnerabilities, then Google Play patches make changes at the system level.
How to permanently remove an application from the Google Play console list
There is another way to permanently remove a listing app from Google Play, all you need to do is fill out this application form
by clicking on
the Help Desk
.
In the form you need to indicate the name of your application, developer account, etc. and click on the button I would like to ask you to delete the application
so that support will immediately understand what you are asking for, then
send the request
and wait for the results.
Automatic store update
In theory, everything should update automatically - provided that the user has not disabled auto-update in the settings. Bans are usually intended to save traffic and battery power. And some people are simply annoyed by endless “new things.” Let's tell you a secret - almost any software can survive without regular updates. Therefore, disabling auto-update still has a certain meaning - it is enough to update the software once every 1-2 months.
The old version of the Play Market leads to one serious problem - applications are not updated and new software is not installed. Check if you have automatic updates enabled - launch Playmarket, go to settings and check its availability. Select “Always” if you want to have the latest software at your disposal, or “Never” if you plan to update the device yourself.
If “Never” was selected, select “Always” - now the application store will update itself, without your participation. This is convenient if you have unlimited Internet access. When connecting via 3G or 4G (using package tariffs), it makes sense to choose a manual update.
If the update does not start, restart your phone and wait a while - the store will update and at the same time update the necessary services. Perhaps the device will ask some questions.
Another manual update
This time we will talk about devices where there is no software store initially. This really happens when buying Chinese handsets - the Chinese install some kind of crooked firmware on them, where the PlayMarket simply does not exist (we will not go into the reasons for its absence in the framework of this article). Therefore, you need to install it yourself. In this case you will get:
- Access to a huge number of various programs and utilities.
- Automatic software updates.
- Possibility to do without unofficial sources.
You can download the APK of the Play Market application here. In our opinion, this resource can be trusted 99.9%. Here are a variety of versions of the store - original, lightweight, for Android-TV, for smart watches. The resource also presents patches, super-lite versions, and Google Play services of various versions. We recommend choosing the original version and installing it.
Don't forget to allow installation of applications from unknown sources by sliding the corresponding switch in the security settings menu.
Next, install the application, open it, register a new account or enter data from the old one, wait for it to load. In theory, all the necessary services should be installed automatically. If they don’t want to, install it manually. In this case, most likely, there will be no automatic update - to update the store to the next version, you will have to manually download the update and install it. The installed software will update itself.
Programs for Android. Updates for your favorite apps
Fans of Android devices constantly monitor software updates for their gadgets. And thanks to the fact that this operating system is becoming more and more popular, programs for Android are updated very often. Most programs for Android are free, sometimes you need to pay for some additional functions, and some software is completely paid. Today we will look at updates to popular free programs for Android, such as the Chrome browser for Android, CaliBattery - a battery charge indicator, QuickPic - a program for managing multimedia files, AndExplorer - a file manager for Android.
All these programs have long been known to users of Android devices, so we will give only a brief description of the program and look in detail at what has changed in the new version of each application.
Chrome for Android now compresses data #
Google Chrome for Android is developed on the principles of the computer version. Using the automatic access feature, Chrome allows you to use Google services without constantly entering your username and password.
The updated Chrome browser for Android can now compress data and optimize connections.
This new feature will help control traffic. With the compression function enabled, traffic consumption will decrease by almost 50%. In addition, the feature provides safe browsing technology, so you will be protected from viruses and malware.
In order to enable the function, you need to click “Download data” in the browser settings, then select “Traffic reduction” and enable the function there. Here you can see how much traffic was saved during the month.
for Android.
CaliBattery 1.4 - battery status for Android devices #
CaliBattery is a program for Android, the interface of which is an indicator with information about battery charging. The application provides manual voltage calibration.
The key goal of such a program for Android is to inform the device owner about the state of the gadget’s battery.
The application can:
- remember information about the current battery voltage;
- save hourly battery charge level statistics and build graphic charts based on the data received;
- save the max and min values of the voltage level, based on which the program calculates the charge level;
- notify you when the charge level approaches zero.
Using the Android program CaliBattery, you can view statistics of the last 60 measurements that the program made over the last hour. The new version of the program 1.4 adds a function for determining the rate of battery discharge, which is expressed as a percentage per hour, and the interface adapts to any screen size.
The utility is suitable for devices with Android OS firmware 1.6 and later. An interesting program for Android, CaliBattery, is indispensable for devices whose standard application from the factory firmware does not work correctly.
QuickPic 3.4.6 - managing multimedia files on Android #
An excellent application for Android, with the ability to view and manage multimedia files. The program works much faster and more conveniently than a regular gallery.
Advantages: - quick viewing of photos and videos, display in slide show mode in high quality; — viewing a group of photos available on a gadget (phone, tablet) without loading unnecessary background processes; — several options for sorting files for easy searching; — copying, moving, renaming multimedia files; — creating and setting up folders for searching and viewing photos; — hide folders with photos and videos from various programs, with password protection; — image editing: rotation, cropping, resizing, compression; — installation of high-quality wallpaper in the form of a photograph you like; — playback of GIF animation and standard videos; — control of viewing photos: moving, flipping, enlarging by single or double click; — creating sketches; — sending photos by email, MMS directly from the application (however, sending via MMS is prohibited for HTC devices, since the manufacturer blocks this feature for third-party applications);
The program is optimized to work on large-screen gadgets and does not contain advertising.
for Android.
AndExplorer 2.5 - file manager for Android #
The AndExplorer file manager supports all the basic operations that are usually performed with files. With this application you can easily copy, move, rename or delete any file. Naturally, there is the ability to work with folders: they can also be created, copied, moved, renamed and deleted.
You can open many files on your device using AndExplorer. These include HTML web pages, mp3 audio files, video files, texts, office documents and many others. It is even possible to install applications into the device from APK packages directly in the application. AndExplorer has support for working with hidden files that are not visible to Android programs when viewing the device's file system in normal mode.
The application fully supports unpacking file archives in ZIP, GZIP and TAR formats. Unpacking archives occurs quickly and is very simple for the user. For ZIP archives, the UTF-8 encoding standard is supported, and it is possible to work with encrypted archives.
In the paid version of the application, search through the file system and creation of archives are available (you can pack files into ZIP archives directly on the device). The scope of the application is not limited to the built-in memory alone. You can easily carry out the same operations with a memory card, including unpacking archives onto it. There are other equally useful functions:
- The ability to simultaneously work with several files or folders is supported: you can mark several at once and apply a specific operation to them;
- AndExplorer has built-in support for file transfer. Without leaving the application, you can easily send a file via Bluetooth or by attaching it as an attachment to an E-mail.
- The user can select any of the following options for sorting files and folders: by name, by volume and by date. It is possible to filter files by extension.
- AndExplorer is an Android program that fully supports the back button.
- You can set the application language to English, Spanish, Chinese or Japanese.
- During operation, the application can provide the user with useful tips. This will allow you, without reading lengthy help, to learn about the useful features of the application that may be needed in a specific situation.
This program for Android differs from other file managers in that it does not have unnecessary bells and whistles and, thanks to this, is very easy to use. It contains only what is really needed. The creators of the application have done everything possible to simplify user access to these functions as much as possible. And they did it perfectly: the application is intuitive and it has all the necessary tools for working with files. It can be called one of the best programs for the Android operating system in the field of working with files.
The new version of the application has support for large screens, and there are also opportunities to create thumbnails for both videos and images.
These are the updates in your favorite applications for Android devices.
Manual update
Go to the Play Market on your phone or any other device, go to settings, select “Play Market Version”. The device will automatically check for updates and offer to install them. If the version is the latest, a warning will appear. Agree with the “new thing” and wait for the process to complete. Other modules should be updated along with it.
If the device has been left for a year or two without being turned on, the following problems are possible - deep battery discharge and the application store not starting. During this time it became completely outdated. You need to update the Play Market on Android by running the update according to the above instructions - through the settings and clicking on the line with the version. If you encounter problems, follow these steps:
- Go to “Menu – Applications – All – Play Store”, click on the “Uninstall updates” button and restart the device. It should start updating. If this is not the case, run the process via the version line.
- Follow the same path and click the “Erase data” button. The application cache will be reset. Reboot and wait - after a while a new version of the software should appear on the device.
- Perform a master reset through the engineering menu or through the main menu (do not forget to create a backup copy of the data stored in memory).
If one instruction does not help, use another.
