The Google Play Store is not displaying available updates for certain preinstalled system apps on its Pending downloads screen, impacting users who have disabled automatic updates. This behavior has been observed across various devices and apps, such as Google Play Services and YouTube.
System App Update Behavior
Users with auto-updates disabled are experiencing missing notifications for system app updates in the Pending downloads section. Despite this, these apps can signal a "new updates" notification. However, the installation must then be done manually from each app's individual Play Store listing.
- Issues noted on 2026-01-22 include Google Play Services and YouTube.
- Google Partner Setup updates failed to appear on 2026-07-11.
- The Data Restore Tool update was missing from the list on 2026-07-01.
Auto-Update Workaround
To avoid manual updates, enabling auto-updates is recommended. Users can navigate to Play Store settings, select Network preferences, and choose any option other than "Don't auto-update apps." This will ensure that system apps update without manual intervention.
Potential Changes in Google Policy
Though some users suspect this omission might be an intentional change by Google, it could impact those preferring manual control over app updates. Monitoring and reporting by 9to5Google continue, as user frustration grows due to the added step required for ensuring apps are up to date.
