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Google recently started testing a Google Play Store “Refresh” button which allows users to manually check for updates for their Android apps. The button is a part of a larger set of experimental changes that the Mountain View-based tech giant is currently testing and is only available to select users. Provided that the company greenlights the change, the Refresh button will likely roll out to users worldwide in a few months, presumably during the second quarter of the year. The video and screenshots showcasing the latest experimental version of the Google Play Store user interface can be seen below, courtesy of Android Police.
The latest widely available version of the Google Play Store periodically checks for updates for Android apps and prompts users to download them using push notifications. Due to that state of affairs, manually checking for app updates is currently only possible by restarting the Play Store app. A dedicated Refresh button for app updates would certainly facilitate the process of checking for them and would be especially useful in cases when you’re waiting for a specific update. Not surprisingly, there’s still no word on when Google might roll out this feature globally and there’s always a chance that the company opts to scrap it. However, seeing how the Refresh button that’s currently in testing doesn’t seem to have any real downsides, it’s reasonable to presume that it’s only a question of time before this feature becomes available worldwide.
The Refresh button is only a part of the new Installed screen featured in the latest experimental version of the Google Play Store. Among other things, the new user interface also allows users to sort their installed apps by several factors like sizes, names, and the dates when the apps were last used or updated. The Mountain View-based tech giant has been hard at work experimenting with new features of the Google Play Store in recent months. The company’s digital marketplace was recently updated with a Top Charts user interface in select territories and Google even updated its Android app store with more specific game ratings for things like graphics, controls, and gameplay.
