Google Play Store can now download two apps at once

Android phones are finally getting a major quality-of-life feature, though, in classic Google fashion, it’s not quite what it should be.

As noted by Android Authority and 9to5Google, the Play Store is now able to download two apps at once. However, this behaviour only works for new app installs and not updates.

Android Authority spotted the new feature on a Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, while 9to5Google noted the behaviour on “several Pixel phones and tablets” running Android 14 and Play Store version 40.6.31.

The ability to download multiple apps at once should significantly speed up the process of setting up a phone, which is likely when most people will need to download tons of apps in one go. The other situation, of course, would be app updates since multiple updates often hit at the same time. Unfortunately, both publications noted that updates still download one at a time.

It’s not clear if Google plans to change that in the future.

Notably, Apple’s App Store has had the ability to download three apps or app updates at once for a while.

Source: Android Authority, 9to5Google