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From: Andrew <andrew@spam.net>
Newsgroups: comp.mobile.android
Subject: Re: Are Playstore app updates tested before release?
Date: Mon, 15 Jul 2024 13:36:46 -0000 (UTC)
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Jeff Layman wrote on Mon, 15 Jul 2024 08:41:14 +0100 :

>> Jeff Layman wrote on Sun, 14 Jul 2024 09:20:25 +0100 :
> 
>>> 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).
> 
> It took some time to find a statement, but at 
> <https://www.esper.io/blog/building-a-google-play-system-update-changelog> 
> it notes "Thanks to Project Mainline, Google is able to deliver updates 
> to core Android system components through the Play Store. These updates 
> - which are publicly referred to as Google Play System Updates - can fix 
> security issues or introduce new features, and they're routinely 
> delivered to users on GMS Android devices running Android 10 and later."
> 
> So they do come through the Play Store. But as you've removed the Play 
> Store from your phone, but still get updates, that doesn't make sense. 
> Or perhaps the Play Store isn't just the Play Store we think it is... ;-)

While I've deleted the Google Play Store package from my user partition,
for years I simply didn't log into the Google Play Store package (because I
couldn't log into it as I have no Google Account on my phone set up).

Even so, the Google Play Store *settings* still allowed updating of apps,
so my point of saying this is that the thing we refer to as the "Google
Play Store" app is a complicated beast that isn't like a normal app is.
 
> Perhaps part of the answer is here 
> <https://x.com/MishaalRahman/status/1706051485623103675>
> "Google System Updates are comprised of updates to the Google Play Store 
> app, the Google Play Services app, the Android WebView, and Project 
> Mainline modules (via Google Play System Updates).

Personally, I think the project mainline (since renamed by Google) packages
are updated independent of the Google Play Store, but rest assured there
are a LOT of update mechanisms on Android as we've covered this before.
 <https://groups.google.com/g/comp.mobile.android/search?q=mainline>

> While you can opt out of these, you'll still get system updates from 
> non-Google sources as well as app updates through Google Play*. 
> Furthermore, Google says automatic updates may still happen to address 
> severe security or safety issues or to comply with legal obligations."

Andy and I, long ago, listed all the key update mechanisms, where it's
complicated since almost all of Android is updated silently, in layers.
<https://groups.google.com/g/comp.mobile.android/search?q=%22google%20play%20system%20update%22>

> * But /which/ "Google Play"?! We have Google Play Store, Google Play 
> Services, Google Play System, and non-Google sources. Almost looks like 
> it's been designed to confuse. Surely not...

Yup. Google, like many companies, let the developers name things until they
become mainstream and then marketing takes over with brand name recognition
where Google marketing has decided people recognize the "Google Play" TM.

As Andy & I have discussed many times, there are many different things
which start with the name "Google Play" on Android phones lately.
<https://groups.google.com/g/comp.mobile.android/search?q=%22google%20play%20store%20update%22>

>> 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.
> 
> See above. Perhaps security and safety issue updates can't be turned off.

Android updates in mysterious layers - most of which are seamless to us.
<https://groups.google.com/g/comp.mobile.android/search?q=%22seamless%20update%22>

>>> 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.
> 
> I should read my own links properly! :-)
> 
> Yes, the versions I can find in "Settings" by digging down into the app 
> menus are pretty much the latest as shown in the links. I'll try to 
> avoid doing any updates in the next couple of weeks and see if the 
> version change anyway. That will mean an automatic update has taken place.

Given we know every Project Mainline package in any given Android release,
I recommend Muntashirakon App Manager to get the version of those packages.