What you need to know
- Google has released the March 2022 System Updates.
- These updates are available for all Android devices, not just Pixel phones.
- The update will arrive through the Play Store and Play Services.
As is the case whenever a new month rolls around, Google is pushing a few updates out to Android users. The latest update comes as a bit of a surprise, given that it's not the traditional monthly security patch, as that will likely arrive next week.
Instead, the Google System Update for March 2022 is now rolling out to pretty much anyone who owns an Android device. In this update, there are quite a few different bug fixes, including one that fixes "device connectivity". Additionally, the Play Games Services profile has been updated, providing users with a way to "better manage their privacy settings".
The bulk of the changes in this System Update comes to the Play Store. Google is bringing improvements to its "play-as-you-download" feature, making it so that you can play games while they download in the background even faster. Google is also adding ways to make it better for you to find some of the best Android apps and games, but we haven't seen any changes to the interface. This likely just means that Google has updated its back-end algorithm to provide better results when browsing through the Play Store.
Some of these features have not appeared just yet, such as the improvements to Play Pass and Play Points. However, we expect that to change in the coming days as the update lands on more devices.
The best part about the Google System Update is that you don't need to own a Pixel in order to receive it. Google is pushing the update now to all of the best Android phones, including the newly-released Galaxy S22 Ultra. If the update doesn't apply itself in the background, you should see an update available in the Play Store itself so you can manually install it.
The full list of changes coming with the latest System Update can be found below.
Critical Fixes
- [Auto, Phone, Tablet, TV, Wear OS] Bug fixes for device connectivity, developer services, safety & emergency, and utilities related services.
Games
- [Phone, TV] With the update to the Play Games Services profile, users will be able to better manage their privacy settings.
Google Play Store
- Improvements to Play-as-you-download feature to let gamers start playing mobile games while the app download continues to reduce waiting times.
- New Features to help you discover the Apps & Games you love.
- Optimizations allowing faster and more reliable download and installation.
- New features to the Play Pass and Play Points programs.
- Enhancements to Google Play Billing.
- Continuous improvements to Play Protect to keep your device safe.
- Various performance optimizations, bug fixes and improvements to security, stability and accessibility.
Wallet
- [Phone] Improved user experience and feature education for NFC/HCE-enabled devices.
System Management
- Updates to system management services that improve device connectivity, network usage, stability, security and updatability.
Developer Services
- New developer features for Google and third party app developers to support ads, accessibility, analytics & diagnostics and machine learning & AI, and security & privacy related developer services in their apps.
The S-Pen is back with the Galaxy S22 Ultra. Samsung may have jet set the Note branding, but it continues to live on in the company's latest and greatest flagship.
