Google devices will now receive updates much faster: "Check for update" button gets a new feature

Google has reportedly added a new feature to its firmware update system and has made the "Check for update" button in Settings pretty useful. The new change comes as part of the latest Google Play services.

As far as the story goes, Elliott Hughes, a Google engineer, in a blog post explains the new change in a Q&A format and further has said, "The button in Settings to check for update actually works now." "If you're running the latest Google Play Services, you shouldn't need to sideload an OTA or flash a system image just because you're impatient..."

What's good about the new change is that the feature will now configure the device to check for any update when the request has been made manually. And as mentioned by the Google executive users will not be required to sideload any new OTA or factory image.

The new update process will be very useful because if there is even 1 percent of rollout done and 1 percent users have received the update if you tap the Check for update option it will actually make that update available for your device.

"When a device checks in because you've specifically asked it to, we flag that this is user-initiated and so you're not subject to the usual limitations. So even if we're at 1 percent rollout and 1 percent of users already have the update, if you manually check you'll still be offered it, even though a background check at the same time wouldn't," Hughes said in his post.

However, the executive has also mentioned that if a carrier hasn't approved the update, their restrictions will still apply and the updates will not be delivered. The new feature will work on any device that uses Google's OTA system include some non-Nexus/Pixel devices meaning Android One devices. Google Pixel and Nexus devices running the latest Google Play services will support this feature.

Further, Hughes has said that this is a Google Play Services change and it is not limited to Android Oreo. He explains, "There was no platform-side component to this. The AOSP Settings app basically sends out an intent when you go into the system update section, and if you're using Google's OTA system, Google Play Services steps up and shows its UI. In some cases it will call back into the system - to actually apply an update, for example - but the actual checking in with the Google OTA servers is done by Google Play Services code."