In a u-turn, it looks like Google might be bringing back Play Store app update notifications. A Twitter tipster has shown that the change has started appearing for users already. However, Android Police has pointed out that when the function went away many were confused and thought it was a bug.
It looks like though this must be a willful move from Google. Screenshots have shown that the additional notification setting toggles. They also so show the actual notification update which all but confirms this new feature.
Play Store App Update Notifications to Return
In the screenshots, we can see some of the updates that have been missed since the function was removed. This will come as a bit of a relief to many who were frustrated when the function was removed from the Play Store. It is an interesting move for Google to make such a u-turn, but a welcome one nonetheless.
These changes appeared in the Play Store version 20.7.16-all [0] [PR] 317546459. The tipster was using Android 11 beta on a Pixel 3a. However, others have not been able to replicate this change on their devices. This suggests a server-side switch. Hopefully, this does not also indicate this is a limited test which may never come to fruition and a full rollout.
Google U-Turn on Update Notifications
When app update notifications were removed from the Play Store which annoyed many people. The process of how it was removed was also very confusing and prolonged which did not help the situation. For a long time users thought this may be a bug but eventually, Google confirmed the change was wilful.
The feature first started disappearing back in November 2019. However, it took until months into 2020 before Google confirmed that change was a deliberate move. Many were not happy with this move and as a result, have been using workarounds to replace it.
AppNotifier has been something that users have been using to replace these notifications. This free app did a very good job of replacing the feature Google removed. However, it looks like we no longer need such workarounds as Google have reneged on their previous position.
It has been a busy few months for Google and the Play Store. Recently it finally made Adobe Photoshop Camera available for users which comes months after its announcement in November 2019. A “Watch Others Play” section is also being trialled by Google which could allow you to watch clips of games before purchasing through the Play Store.
Hopefully, we will see this update from Google come to fruition. There is no guarantee that this will be the case, however, many will be happy to see there return of update notifications. Watch this space to see any developments on the issue.