Google Play Store Will Now Display Prompts To Update Apps That Crash Often

GOOGLE Play Store is the go-to hub for apps and games downloading on an Android phone. The Mountain View-headquartered giant has added a feature that will allow the user to receive a prompt to update outdated applications if it crashes in the foreground.

In an Android Developers Blog, posted by Kurt Williams, Product Manager of Google Play, shared the details about the feature. The screengrab shared by the app reads "Update the app to fix crash," with more information.

"The app stopped working, but the latest update for the app may fix the issue. Install the update and then open the app again. If you want to update later, go to Manage apps & device in Google Play," the message reads.

Devices running "Android 7.0 (SDK level 24) and above" will display the prompts to update a crashing app to a stable version. These prompts will be configured automatically and need no action from the user. They will stir into action if Play determines that the updated version has a "statistically relevant, lower crash rate" than the version crashing on the device. The dialog can be displayed even when the app fails to function at startup, as the prompt depends on Google Play and not the affected app.

Google highlighted three thresholds it takes into account to achieve the best outcome. Firstly, it will measure the user activity level of the app according to Vitals. Android Vitals is Google's initiative to enhance the technical quality of apps on Google Play. It would compare the "foreground crash rate of an app version" to its latest compatible version. Lastly, it will confine the prompts if the user declines to update the app.

The search giant regularly brings enhancements to the service to add features and improve device security. Speaking of other security features, Play Store offers Play Protect to check "apps and device for harmful behaviour" and notifies the user of security issues. Next, moving to other updates on Google, the search giant is working on its AI experiment Bard to catch up with AI-powered Bing and ChatGPT in the AI race.