A revolutionary feature in the Google Play Store: Download apps faster

Google Play Store now has the capacity to allow your Android phone to download and install two apps simultaneously. This means you no longer have to wait for one app to finish installing before you start installing another.

9to5Google has identified a new feature in Play Store version 40.6.31 that is now available on a wide variety of devices, including Pixel phones and tablets running Android 14. This capability has also been seen on older devices, such as the Samsung Galaxy S22. This update allows these devices to download and install multiple apps simultaneously, making the app installation process more efficient.

Simultaneous app downloads in the App Store started four years ago

The ability to simultaneously download and install applications was originally discovered by AssembleDebugand it looks like this feature was already tested four years ago. This suggests that the idea has been thought about and developed for some time before its recent release on a wider range of devices.

To try out the new feature of simultaneously downloading and installing apps in the Google Play Store, simply select two large apps, such as Google Docs or OfficeSuite, and start the download process for both at the same time. You’ll be able to watch both apps download and install simultaneously without having to wait for one to finish before the other starts. You can clearly see this in the functionality demo in screenshots or during the actual download process on your device.

It’s important to note that this new feature for simultaneous installs on the Google Play Store can only handle two apps at a time. If you try to install more than two apps at the same time, the additional apps will be queued and displayed as “waiting” on your phone until one of the apps currently installing finishes.

It’s reasonable to speculate that Google could potentially increase this limit in the future, possibly even giving users the option to choose how many downloads run simultaneously. This kind of flexibility would improve user control and efficiency when managing multiple application installations.

Concurrent app downloads only apply to app downloads, not updates

While the new feature allows for simultaneous downloads of new apps, it’s important to note that this doesn’t extend to app updates. Currently, the Google Play Store processes updates one at a time, forcing users to wait for each update to complete before the next one begins. As 9to5Google suggests, enabling simultaneous updates will greatly streamline the process and make it more user-friendly. Given the direction Google is going with downloads, it seems likely that it’s only a matter of time before they expand this capability to include updates as well.

Indeed, being able to download and install two apps at the same time is a significant time saver, especially when setting up a new Android phone. This feature streamlines the installation process. It allows you to quickly prepare your device with all the necessary applications without the long waiting times of performing successive installations. This is a practical improvement that improves the overall user experience when managing app downloads.

While it may not match Apple’s App Store’s ability to handle three simultaneous downloads, Google Play Store’s new feature of allowing two apps to be downloaded at the same time is still a significant improvement. This advancement significantly reduces waiting times, making the process of installing multiple apps more efficient than ever. For Android users, especially those setting up new devices or adding multiple apps at once, this improvement can save significant time and improve the overall setup experience.