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From: Andrew <andrew@spam.net>
Newsgroups: comp.mobile.android
Subject: Re: Are Playstore app updates tested before release?
Date: Sun, 14 Jul 2024 23:27:09 -0000 (UTC)
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Jeff Layman wrote on Sun, 14 Jul 2024 09:20:25 +0100 :

>> It's such a seamless update, the vast majority of Android owners don't even
>> know it's happening every month that their phone core packages are updated.
>>   <https://www.androidheadlines.com/2022/01/google-monthly-changelog-play-system-updates.html>
> 
> That's an interesting page.

Since Android 10, Google has been steadily increasing the number of
packages which are updated monthly forever for all Android phones.

> Firstly, I assume the phone user "pays" for the update in terms of MB or 
> GB downloaded. If the user is on a very limited contract (5GB/month or 
> perhaps even less for a very low-usage contract), then the update might 
> amount to a large fraction of the allowance. I wonder what happens if 
> the allowance runs out halfway through an update? The user might also 
> find something critical they want to use is denied (eg deactivate a 
> stolen credit card via a bank app) because all the allowance has been 
> used the previous day without their knowledge!

Good question. I don't have a Google Play Store client app on my unrootable
Android in my user partition but there might be a WiFi-only setting maybe?

> I see that the update goes unnoticed, but the installation is only 
> completed when the user reboots the device. I wonder how many actually 
> do that, or is the phone effectively deactivated until the user reboots 
> it? 

I don't know but it's commonly accepted you should reboot every once in a
while. I generally reboot about weekly but I do it only as I think of it.

> Is there some sort of message displayed to that effect? I ask 
> because with my Xiaomi, automatic system updates are turned off. I get a 
> notice that a system update is available (or I used to as I'm now out of 
> the MIUI update period. The OS is MIUI 14.0.5 based on Android 13, and 
> from what I've read MIUI is now defunct as it's been superseded by 
> Xiaomi's HyperOS). From what I remember these updates could be in the 
> 1GB+ range.

I don't think you get a message when Project Mainline (since renamed by
Google) has updated but we discussed this in the past so I'd have to look.

> Does the update come through the Play Store? Although it's an update to 
> the Google Play System, it doesn't state explicitly that it comes via 
> the Play Store. Or does it come through the OEM?

Good question. I'd ask Andy or Arno. I never thought of where the updated
packages come from (as there are more than two dozen in Android 14).

> Like you, I have all automatic updates turned off, whether system or 
> otherwise. In fact, a lot of the bloatware crap which came with the 
> phone has never been updated. Other than with adb, most of the junk is 
> uninstallable anyway, but I just ignore it.

Yeah, I try not to update unless I know what I want updated, but the
Project Mainline stuff updates whether or not you ask it to, I think.

> I see that this is where the latest update info is provided:
> <https://support.google.com/product-documentation/answer/14343500>

I think that link answers one of your questions, which is how you know
you've been updated. I would guess you have the version they say there.