Hidden updates on Android smartphones — how to find them

Usually, when you check your Android smartphone and see the "System updated" message, it might seem like everything is fine. But in reality, there are often important Google Play updates hiding behind the scenes that go unnoticed. This is why you may not receive new features or security patches in time.

Android Authority writes about it.

Why are Google Play updates so important?

Until 2019, to get the latest features on smartphones not released directly by Google (Nexus, Pixel), you had to wait for the full firmware from the manufacturer. Eventually, Google launched Project Mainline to share some system components and distribute new features without delays from manufacturers. This is how the separate Google Play System Updates appeared. They bring users improvements in privacy, security, and even big features like Privacy Dashboard, Find My Device extension, emergency SOS functions, and more.

The main problem, however, is that Google Play System Updates are often hidden in the depths of the settings, and Android itself usually doesn't automatically notify you of them. Users can live with an old version of system components for months, believing that everything is up to date.

Where to look for hidden updates

Most people are used to going to Settings — System — System Updates, hoping to find all possible updates. But Google Play System Updates is usually located in a different menu. For example, on Pixel smartphones, you should look for them in Settings in the Security and Privacy or Security section, which opens the page with the option Google Play system update (or a similar name). If you have a different brand of phone, the easiest way to find it is to search for it in the settings using the keywords "Play system update".

It happens that it may display a version of the Play System dated several months earlier. You can update it manually — the download will be quick, but you will need to restart your phone to apply the changes.

The biggest mystery is why Google is hiding such important updates and why it doesn't send notifications. After all, the idea behind Project Mainline was to distribute new features as quickly as possible. Instead, we often find out about it by accident, only when we look into the settings or restart our smartphone. This leads to situations where the system says: "Everything is up-to-date", when in fact there are still Play System Updates waiting.

So if you are wondering why you haven't received a long-awaited feature or security update, check the Google Play System Updates section. Most likely, there is a several-month "batch" update that is just waiting for you to reboot your smartphone.

As a reminder, Android smartphones have the feature that allows you to record the screen. In the new version of the operating system, developers allowed users to record what is happening on an external monitor.

We also wrote that Google updated the Find My Device feature. Now users can see not only their Android devices but also the geolocation of friends and family members.