If you have more than one Android device, you have probably used the Google Play Store to install apps on a device other than the one in your hand. The ability to ‘remotely’ install apps in this way is a great time saver, and Google is expanding the management features available to users.
If you can install an app on not only the device in front of you but also another linked to your account, why not uninstall it in the same way? Technically, you can, but Google has made it so awkward that it puts most people off – until now.
Google is introducing a new “Uninstall” button to the listings for apps in the Play Store. Although not yet activated, code for version 47.7.19-31 of the Google Play Store app shows that this will make it possible to uninstall apps from any of your connected devices remotely.
It is a simple idea, but it is one that saves having to search through menu after menu just to uninstall an app from both your phone and your tablet. It is not clear when this will start to roll out to people, but if it works in the way Android Authority was able to get it to work, the release simply cannot come soon enough.
Why would you want to have this option? Well, many people have the same apps installed on their phones and tablets, taking advantage of the fact that everything can be cloud synced. But allegiances can switch. If you fall out of love with an app, you probably want to purge it from all of your devices, not just the one closest to hand. This remote uninstallation option means it can also be taken care of in one place while you think of it.
Remove Android apps easily
While it may not always be imperative that uninstallations happen immediately, your reasons for switching from one app to another may be related to security. If a security issue comes to light in one of your apps, you may well feel it is important to delete the offending title straight away. Being able to do it all from one device means you are far less likely to forget.
It is a little strange that it took Google so long to bring this option out of the shadows – not that it has quite made it into the light yet. It is a peculiarity of UX design at Google that sees something so useful hidden away to such an extent that many people would simply not know it exists, let alone where to look to find it (at the moment you need to go to Manage apps & devices > Manage within the Google Play Store and then filter through devices one by one, in case you did not know and were curious).
As Android Authority notes, though, while this new Uninstall button helps to speed things up if you’re only interested in uninstalling a single app from multiple devices, using Manage Apps & Devices makes more sense if you are looking to get rid of several in one fell swoop.
When will this feature start to roll out? As this is Google, there is really no way of knowing – the company is unpredictable at best. It could land tomorrow, or it could be something that is months away. There is also the chance that it ends up being ditched or forgotten before people get a chance to try it out.
Assuming it does make its way out into the real world, is this something you feel will be useful? Does the idea of more remote device management options appeal, and if so, what would you like Google to work on next?
Image credit: Android Authority
