How does Google update your device

| Published: Wednesday, April 18, 2018, 18:20 [IST]

Not being able to use the nifty new feature or access to an app exclusive to a new OS because your phone manufacturer still hasn’t provided you with the OS update your friends or random strangers on the street might have received ages ago. This is because the OEMs (Original equipment manufacturers) often have to work very closely with the Android team to make the source code compatible with their own devices.

In Android 7.x and earlier, OEMs had to update major chunks of the Android code every time an update was implemented. And since the option for plug-and-play compatibility is not available when it comes to low-level hardware, the code has to be tailored to fit the system. And this meant a considerable amount of time, testing and money for the OEMs to iron out the bugs.

The answer to this problem is Project Treble which arrives with Android 8.0 Oreo and which will be a major re-architecture of the OS framework by separating it from the vendor hardware code implementations. This allows Google and OEMs to update their OS without reconfiguring the lower level hardware parts.

Google Home Unboxing and Setup process - GIZBOT

But Google has not forgotten the users who are still using their phones which are still saddled with older operating systems. A number of apps that used to be bundled along with the OS are now available in the Play Store and this means they are maintained and updated this way as well, this ensures that you still have access to a number of features even when you aren’t provided with the latest OS.

Google Play Services Updates

Google has managed to ensure that users who do not have the latest version of their OS to still be able to enjoy the latest features that they have come up with. Before an OEM releases a device equipped with Android, they are obliged to agree to certain terms and conditions to get Google Play Store and Google apps on their devices.

The terms of the agreement reserve the right to make changes to Google Play Services exclusive to Android. As the Google Play Services get updated, there are changes that are incorporated into the system in the background.

The "Find My Device" tracking feature was added to nearly all devices thanks to a Google Play Services update. Similarly, Google added an app-scanning feature that keeps malware out. This was to make sure older devices remain more secure.

On other platforms, changes like these require a complete overhaul of the operating system. However, Google has managed to bypass the slowing down of things by OEMs and carriers and has managed to release updates for nearly all Android devices.

Official Google Apps in Google Play

Google has increased the number of apps that have been severed from the primary system and listed more apps like Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Keyboard, Hangouts, Chrome, Google Maps, Drive and many others in the Play Store, this makes sure the app gets updated without having to update the Android OS.

Features that require OS updates

Operating system-level features and support for new hardware standards can't be provided in the background, these require new versions of the core OS.

However, with Google rolling out features via Play Store updates and app updates, the user can have a very enriching Android experience with Marshmallow (Android 6.0) or above.