Tech Desk
Aug 13, 2024
Google Play Store has factored in a different approach to handling updates for sideloaded apps. This feature gave users the capability to update sideloaded apps directly from the Play Store.
Google Play Store has been testing a feature allowing users to update sideloaded apps directly from the Play Store. The feature was found in the latest version, Play Store 42.0.18, and was rolled out to users.
The feature was named "Update from Play," which allowed users to download and install updates for apps installed from third-party sources.
This gave more control to the user for updating apps and made it possible to update apps from the Play Store instead of from the original source.
Read more: WhatsApp latest update iOS 24.16.75 — What’s new?
Moreover, on Android 14, Google introduced a useful change that allowed an app store to set update ownership for apps downloaded from it. This move prevented users from mistakenly installing another variant of the app published from another store.
The new feature would surface available updates for apps downloaded from other sources, including a "Update from Play" button that would transfer update ownership from the source to the Play Store.
At this point, it was not clear whether tapping the "Update from Play" button switched all future updates to the Play Store. We had to wait until the change rolled out to users to know for sure.
