What you need to know
- Users can now download and install two apps simultaneously on their Android phones instead of waiting for one app to finish installing before starting another.
- The new feature has been spotted on various devices, including Pixel phones and tablets running Android 14.
- While apps can be downloaded simultaneously, app updates still occur one at a time, though this could change in the future.
The Google Play Store can now download and install two apps on your Android phone at the same time, instead of making you wait for one to finish before moving on to the next.
9to5Google has spotted a new feature that's hitting a broad range of devices, including Pixel phones and tablets rocking Android 14 with Play Store version 40.6.31. We've also spotted the same behavior even on older devices, such as the Samsung Galaxy S22.
The same capability was previously discovered by AssembleDebug, and it appeared that this feature was in testing four years ago.
To give it a whirl, just grab two large apps like Google Docs or OfficeSuite. Once you do, watch as both of them download and install together, instead of waiting for one to wrap up before kicking off the other, as seen in the screenshot below.
Keep in mind, though, that this new simultaneous install trick only handles two apps at once. So, if you're loading up more than that, they'll sit in the queue as "pending" on your phone.
It is safe to assume that Google might increase the limit in the future, maybe even letting us choose how many downloads to run at once.
However, this multi-download trick doesn't cover app updates. The Play Store still sticks to one update at a time, leaving the rest waiting their turn. As 9to5 points out, having simultaneous updates would be way easier. It's probably just a matter of time before Google enables this capability too.
Having the option to grab and install two apps at once will be a real time saver, especially when you're setting up a new Android phone.
It might not be quite as fast as Apple's App Store, which can handle three downloads at once, but it's a big leap forward from how things used to be. Now you can grab two apps simultaneously, saving you some serious waiting time.
