Latest news with #appUpdates
The Verge
28-05-2025
- Business
- The Verge
Microsoft wants Windows Update to handle all apps
Microsoft is starting to open Windows Update up to any third-party app that needs to be updated. The software giant is now allowing developers to sign up for a private preview of what it calls the Windows Update orchestration platform, that will enable Windows Update to support any update for apps or drivers in the future. It's focused largely on business apps, but it will be open to any apps or management tools. Windows Update is largely used to update the core parts of Windows right now, alongside key drivers for devices and even install some third-party management apps for peripherals. 'We're building a vision for a unified, intelligent update orchestration platform capable of supporting any update (apps, drivers, etc.) to be orchestrated alongside Windows updates,' explains Angie Chen, a product manager at Microsoft. Most apps on Windows are updated independently, using update mechanisms that developers have created themselves. Microsoft's new Windows Update orchestration platform will let app developers take advantage of scheduled updates based on user activity, battery status, and even sustainable energy timing. Developers will also be able to hook directly into the native Windows Update notifications, and be listed in the app update history part of Windows Update. Microsoft will support MSIX / APPX packaged apps, and even some custom Win32 apps. Any apps that are part of the Windows Update orchestrator will automatically get future improvements to the underlying Windows Update platform, too. Microsoft has tried in the past to convince developers to list their apps in the Microsoft Store, where the store can handle updates or developers can continue to use their own update mechanisms. While the store on Windows has greatly improved in recent years, there are still some missing apps and businesses prefer to update their own line of business apps independently. Microsoft's Windows Package Manager has also tried to solve some of the problems with installing and updating apps on Windows, but it's not a widely used way to install and manage apps outside of power users and developers. Integrating more app updates into Windows Update certainly makes sense for a variety of apps, and it will be interesting to see whether this will be used primarily by businesses or if big developers like Adobe might move over to the Windows Update system instead of a separate installer that runs in the background.
Android Authority
08-05-2025
- Android Authority
Google Play preps a better way to keep track of download progress (APK teardown)
Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority TL;DR Google is working on a new download progress notification for the Play Store. The updated notification will show up to three recently downloaded apps and games. It will display the app's name and icon, a circular progress bar, the package size, the download progress as a percentage, and a button to open the app. Google started testing a new Download Manager for the Play Store late last year that helps users keep track of recently downloaded apps and games. It has since made its way to most users, giving them an easy way to check the download progress for new apps and open them as soon as they're installed. Now, Google is working on bringing similar functionality to the download notification that appears in the notification shade when you install new apps and games from the Play Store. Authority Insights story on Android Authority. Discover You're reading anstory on Android Authority. Discover Authority Insights for more exclusive reports, app teardowns, leaks, and in-depth tech coverage you won't find anywhere else. An APK teardown helps predict features that may arrive on a service in the future based on work-in-progress code. However, it is possible that such predicted features may not make it to a public release. We have spotted the upgraded download notification in the latest Google Play Store build (version 46.1.37-31). Although it's not live for end users, we have successfully activated it manually to give you an early look. The Play Store's new download progress notification shows the app or game icon to the left with a circular progress bar around it. Next to the app icon, the notification displays the app's name, its package size, and the download progress as a percentage. To the right, the notification also has a button that lets you open the app as soon as it's installed. This new download progress notification can show a maximum of three recently downloaded apps and games, including ones that the Play Store has finished installing on your phone. Furthermore, the notification has a 'See more' option that will likely redirect you to the Play Store's Download Manager. However, we can't confirm that at the moment, as this option is not functional in the current release. The 'Open' button also doesn't work and shows up even when the app isn't finished downloading. In addition, the notification shows '0% of 0MB' when an app is finished downloading, leading us to believe it isn't quite ready for prime time. We expect Google to share additional details about this new download progress notification closer to release, and we'll update this post as soon as we have more information. Got a tip? Talk to us! Email our staff at Email our staff at news@ . You can stay anonymous or get credit for the info, it's your choice.
