Google has started letting users download two apps at once through the Play Store. This feature was first introduced last April. However, it had one limitation: it only worked for downloading new apps, not for updating existing ones.
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However, 9to5Google discovered this Wednesday (28) that Google is expanding this functionality. Now, users can download or update up to three apps at the same time via the Play Store.
For years, the famous app store allowed users to install only one app at a time on Android devices. This created a “queue” with just one active download and installation process. The other apps waited in the list as “pending,” which made the process slower and less convenient.
Now, the Play Store supports downloading and updating up to three apps simultaneously. This feature matches the capabilities of the App Store on iOS. When users try to download or update more than three apps at once, the system still forms a “queue.” The remaining processes are listed as “pending.”
It’s not yet clear whether this is an update to the app store itself or a server-side change that Google will roll out gradually. Thetechbasic found that this functionality is already available on smartphones running Android 14. It is also available on version 42.4.22-31 of the Play Store.
This is just one of the improvements Google is making to the Play Store. Recently, the app store also began implementing a new design that moves its search bar to the bottom of the screen.
Play Store Update Brings Two Simultaneous App Downloads
After much speculation, Google has updated the Play Store to allow downloading two apps at the same time. However, this change only applies to new installations; updates for apps already on the device still follow the “queue” system, where apps are downloaded one at a time.
Google has made the new feature available in version 40.6.31 of the Play Store on Android 14. However, it has not yet rolled out to all devices, suggesting a gradual release. There is no information yet about this feature being available on earlier versions of the system.
Simultaneous downloading of applications is something Android users have been requesting for a long time. Before this update, users could queue multiple apps for download, but the operating system’s download manager would handle them one by one.
In practice, this method consumed a lot of time and used many resources, such as memory and processing power, for just one activity at a time.
While the new version of the Play Store addresses a long-standing request, it currently allows a maximum of two simultaneous downloads. A
Since updates are more common than new installations, it’s likely that Google will expand this feature in the future. The feature is still being tested on a large scale, so it’s possible that Google is taking initial steps toward a more significant improvement.
