After many years of silent updates, Google recently created the new concept of Google System Updates, which is communicated very transparently. Several times a month there are numerous innovations and improvements for the Android operating system, which are rolled out in the background and without the user’s knowledge via the Play Store. We’ll show you what’s new in January.
There are various update systems under Android, all of which interlock and are intended to ensure that the user’s operating system is up to date for as long as possible. In addition to the app updates via the Google Play Store, this naturally also includes the version updates, the monthly security updates and the improvements rolled out via the Google Play Services. While users are sometimes informed about app updates and always about operating system updates, things are a bit different with Play Services.
The new Google system updates are rolled out via the Play Services infrastructure and are therefore among the silent updates, which are no less relevant. It’s less about functional improvements and much more about bug fixes, security gaps, performance gains and similar things. In many cases uninteresting for the end-user, but still very important to have in order to use a stable operating system.
For a long time, the Google System Updates were known under the more internally used name “Project Mainline”, which is considered to be the pinnacle of the efforts that have been ongoing since Android 8.0 to make the operating system modular. Project Treble and other activities play a big part and now you try to push that as much as possible and sometimes have to walk a tightrope.
This is how Google System Updates works
Google system updates make your Android devices more secure, more reliable and give you new and useful features. This includes updates from Google for the Android operating system, the Google Play Store and Google Play services. Google system updates are available for smartphones, tablets, Android TV and Google TV, vehicles with Android Auto, Wear OS devices, and Chrome OS devices.
The system updates are downloaded and installed without the user’s knowledge but are only applied after the smartphone has been restarted. This restart is not absolutely necessary but can take place at any time. And even then, you won’t necessarily notice that many components have been swapped out in the background. There is hardly a better way to do it and thus get the Android update problem under control.
However, you have to walk the tightrope of updating as many components as possible yourself without taking away the manufacturers’ flexibility or jeopardizing compatibilities. So far, no problems have been reported despite several dozen components being updated in this way. Let’s hope it stays that way. And so that the media can report on it, all improvements are now summarized monthly on this page.
Here is the list of all the Android operating system updates that were shipped in January 2022 alone.
Important fixes
[Tablet, Wear OS, Phone] Bug fixes in the areas of device connection, security and emergency, system management and diagnostics, and media-related services
Account management
- [Auto, Phone, Tablet, TV, Wear OS] Improved Google account support on Android by providing users with more relevant content based on the entry point.
- [Phone, Tablet] Notifications from Family Link on a child’s device can be forwarded to parental controls via Android settings in the two-pane view (foldable and large-screen devices only).
- [Phone, Tablet] Parents who help supervised children sign in on their device now have the ability to remotely install Family Link on their own device as well.
Google play store
- Improvements to the “Play While Downloading” feature, which allows you to play a mobile game while it’s downloading to reduce waiting time.
- Play while downloading feature that allows you to play a mobile game while it is downloading to reduce waiting time.
- New features to help you find new favorite apps and games
- Faster and reliable downloads and installations thanks to optimizations
- New features in the Play Pass and Play Points programs
- Google Play Billing billing improvements
- Continuous improvements to Play Protect to protect your device
- Various performance optimizations, bug fixes, and security, stability, and accessibility improvements
Security and Privacy
[Phone] The additional password function allows you to manually add login data for apps and websites to the Google password manager.
Support
- [Auto, Tablet, TV, Wear OS, Phone] Added a flow on supported Android devices to help users understand what’s new with a major OS update
Utilities
- [Phone] The update to Android TV allows users to sign in to their TV using their Android smartphone.
- [Phone] Updates to the new version of the Contacts UI allow users to consent.
Wallet
- [Phone] Users can search for the desired agency without having to scroll manually.
- [Auto, Tablet, TV, Wear OS, Phone] SMS verification is available by default for some eligible cardholders.
- [Phone, Wear OS] Improved user experience with a wallet landing page.
- [Auto, Tablet, TV, Wear OS, Phone] SMS verification is available by default for some eligible cardholders.
- [Car, Tablet, TV, Wear OS, Phone] Enables the purchase, digitization and use of supported UK pay-as-you-go (saved credit) tickets.
System administration
- Daylight saving time support changes in different countries.
- Due to an update to the time zone management system, daylight saving time is now supported in several countries.
- Updates to System Management Services improve device connectivity, network usage, stability, security, and updates.
Developer services
- New features for Google and third-party app developers to support a.o. Display, analytics and diagnostics, machine learning and AI, and security and privacy-related processes in their apps.
- New features for Google and third-party app developers to support a.o. Display, analytics and diagnostics, and services in their machine learning and AI apps.
- Improvements to the Sign in with Google user interface.
- An impressively long list, which will very likely grow again this month (February) by a few entries. Maybe as early as Monday with the next Android security update.