Motorola Mobility’s Moto Z Play started receiving the April 2017 Android Security Update on Friday, as reported by one owner of the device who recently took to Reddit to provide screenshots proving that their smartphone is running Google’s recent security patch. The update is reportedly rolling out for Koodo’s customers in Canada through the “tkpca” software channel, while Brazilian users are able to download it through the “retbr” channel. It’s currently unclear whether the rollout of the new software package is even wider, though that may not necessarily be the case seeing how Motorola Mobility usually resorts to staged releases as far as Android security updates are concerned.
Regardless, the new software version ships with the build number NPNS25-137-24-1-9 and contains a number of fixes for specific vulnerabilities in the Android operating system while also resolving some security issues related to the particular software running on the Moto Z Play. The new update seemingly doesn’t contain any major changes to the end user experience and it doesn’t bring the Android 7.0 Nougat on the device to a higher version of Google’s ubiquitous operating system. Given how the software package is being distributed as an over-the-air (OTA) update, it’s likely rolling out in stages and it may be a while until all users receive a notification telling them that the security patch is available for download.
Owners of the Moto Z Play who are feeling impatient may try scanning for the update manually by launching the Settings app on their device and tapping the “Software updates” option located in its “About phone” menu. Alternatively, the user who originally reported about the availability of the update also uploaded the software package to MEGA so that anyone with the necessary know-how can sideload it onto their device. Those interested in doing so can find the software by following the source link beneath this writing, though note that no one can guarantee that an anonymously uploaded security update for the Moto Z Play is legitimate and you’ll be sideloading the software at your own risk. More details about the availability of new software for the device will likely follow in the coming weeks.
