Google has recently made simultaneous app downloads and installs available to everyone on the Play Store, enhancing user experience. This feature had been intermittently tested over the last few years.
Try this: Install two large apps, such as Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides, to observe them downloading and installing at the same time.
You can check their progress both in the Play Store and on your homescreen, as shown in the screenshots below.
This new feature activates only for new installations and allows just two apps to install simultaneously. A third app will stay “Pending” until one of the first two finishes. In contrast, the iOS App Store can manage three downloads and installations at the same time.
Currently, Google Play’s feature for downloading multiple apps at once does not extend to app updates, which happen more often than new installs.
This might be Google Play’s way of starting with a small change before adding more. This feature is especially helpful when you are setting up a new Android phone or tablet.
This update has been observed on multiple Pixel phones and tablets. These devices were using Android 14 and version 40.6.31 of the Play Store during our tests.
What we think?
I think this new feature where you can download two apps at the same time on Google Play is very helpful. It saves time, especially when setting up a new phone.
However, I wish it could handle more apps like the iOS App Store does. It’s a good start, and I hope Google will let us update apps this way too in the future. It’s a nice improvement for Android users.
