Google is reportedly giving parallel downloading another try after the feature resurfaced in a recent Play Store update.
If you are not familiar with this, parallel downloading would give Android users the ability to install multiple apps at the same time. The technology first appeared about four years ago when a Reddit user noticed that he could download Chrome, Google Photos, and YouTube to his mobile device simultaneously. Since then, it seemingly disappeared into obscurity until it was discovered by industry expert Assemble Debug after diving into the Google Play version 40.0.13 files.
Current limitations
He was surprised to see that it was fully functioning. Screenshots on TheSpAndroid blog reveal that Assemble Debug could download Adobe Lightroom and Adobe Acrobat without problems. At first glance, the process works similarly to single app installations. The time it will take to install software on your phone depends on the file size.
While investigating further, Assemble Debug discovered that the feature was being held back by some limitations. First, parallel download does not work for updates. If you want to download patches for multiple applications, you will need to do so individually. Nothing is changing on that front.
Second, Google is restricting the number of simultaneous installations to just two apps. Assemble Debug points out that the constraint is controlled by an internal flag. He disabled the flag and was able to increase the download limit to “five apps at a time.”
Google may change the maximum number of installs at any time, but for now they're keeping things small. There could be an increase in a future probationary period.
Join early testing
For those interested, it is possible to activate parallel downloading on your device by obtaining the latest patch from the Play Store; However, the process is complicated. TheSpAndroid states that you will need a rooted Android smartphone. Rooting is not very difficult to do, but it takes a while to accomplish and you run the risk of completely bricking your hardware. If you want to learn how to do this, we have a guide with step-by-step instructions on how to root your Android phone.
Once all this is done, you will have to enable a certain flag through the GMS Flags application that you can find on GitHub. Details on how to do this can be found in TheSpAndroid's report.
It is unknown when this feature will be officially released. Considering that the company is experimenting with Parallel Downloads again after so long, it could be hinting at an imminent launch. Hopefully, this is the case. Being able to install applications in bulk is a good quality of life improvement. It can help new phone owners save a lot of time when setting up their devices.
Speaking of which, check out TechRadar's list of the best Android phones for 2024 if you're looking to upgrade.
