Any reason why packages updates for minor and major versions are being delayed for weeks?

[proper talon]

Hello there,
Nb to moderators: I initially posted this on Reddit but the post has been refused for not respecting rule #9. By reading Discord's rules, this place seems to be a better one to get some help. I hope I don't infrige any rule.

I own a Google Pixel 7 and noticed that some updated packages are delayed for days or even weeks for updates, whatever the vendor is, even Google apps. For instance, I can get app updates from external sources such as f-droid or uptodown, while the play store tells all apps are up to date. By the way, my pixel 7 wasn't able to update the Google play store to the latest 44.4 version. I had to manually update it manually via apk from 44.1, released on 1st November, version for which my phone is stuck on.

I have many apps that can't get updated, and all of those apps recently got a minor or major update. Patched versions can generally quickly be updated without too much delay (x.x.x to x.x.y), but not minor versions (x.x.x to x.y.x), or major versions (x.x.x to y.x.x): they just get delayed for days or even weeks. I think this wasn't happening before the Google play update from 1st November 2024 or at least did not notice it.

I am now routinely using outdated apps, and not getting apps updates. My friends aren't experiencing this on non-pixel phones. They have the latest 44.4 play store version and latest versions of those apps, while I had to manually update Google Play store, Google play service, or WebView, from external sources via apk.

For instance, here are a few apps I can't update via the play store, but I can update them from external sources via apk:

Brave:
play store, 8 jan, 1.73.105
up to down, 19 jan, 1.74.48

YouTube:
play store, 17 jan, 20.02.40
up to down, 19 jan, 20.02.41

Google phone app:
play store, 13 dec 2024 (!!!), 156.0.705347750-go
up to down, 17 jan 2025, 157.0.712311883-go

Is someone also experiencing this? Is there a delay involved on Pixel phones about updates?

Any help would be appreciated! Thanks!

[slender isle]

Please do not use any other apk source other than APKMirror. Others may be potentially unsafe

The reason why you may be experiencing this is because you selected to update from an external source, and not the play store.

[mighty night]

Couldn't replicate the issue on Pixel 7 android 15
All apps listed by op are up to date

Did you try basic troubleshooting steps? Clearing app storage and cache, switching to another google account in google play, or even try using a vpn

[proper talon]

No, I just tried installing an external source such as uptodown for troubleshooting purposes, after I tried several solutions.

But, I finally found the solution.
The playStore was stuck on 44.5 on my pixel phone, and wasn't able to automatically update itself to 44.6, since this is done via settings > security & confidentiality >system & updates > Google Play system updates, and since this update was stuck on 1st november, whatever I tried.

To solve the issue, I had to launch the Play Store > Settings > About > Update Play Store, which updated to 44.6

Then, I was able to update the Google Play system to the 1st january 2025 version, which, by the way, finally updated some system apps to their latest version (WebView, System Intelligence, Settings Service, etc...).

I guess there's an issue regarding the Google System update on Pixel phones. The Play Store is usually updated via the Google Play System update (fro settings), but the Google Play system update cannot properly resolve new updates from november, until the Play Store is first manually updated to 44.6.
It's a kind of loop issue.

[proper talon]

Your Play Store is outdated. Today's version is 44.6

Outdated Play Store was the reason I was not able to update the Google Play system and related apps (WebView, System Intelligence, Settings Service, etc...)

Could you please try to check the actual version of your Google Play system by navigating to settings > security & confidentiality >system & updates > Google Play system updates ? What do you see as the date of update ? 1st november ? 1st january ? Anything else ?

Mine was showing 1st November, and the only solution I found to be able to update to 1st january update was to manually update the Play Store first, by launching the Play Store > Settings > About > Update Play Store, which updated it to 44.6, and then allowed me to update the Google Play system, which automatically updated many system apps, according to their versions listed in the 1st january 2025 release note available from the google'site.

[proper talon]

More details # 1:
Also, to explain a bit further what happened, and what I did:

• on november 2024, I updated the phone to android 15
• on december 2024, I tried to update the Google Play system update, but it was still stuck on 1st November 2024, I decided to wait
• on January 2025, I tried to update to the Google Play system update, but it was still stuck on 1st November 2024, I decide to handle the issue on my phone
• I had reset the Google Pixel 7 phone, and then updated the android security updates and the Google Play system from settings > security & confidentiality > system & updates. The phone updated to 1st November.
• I then flashed the phone to the OTA version, according to Google docs , via adb sideload (https://developers.google.com/android/ota), and then updated both the Google Play system update and the security updates. I was still stuck on 1st November 2024
• I then flashed the phone to the latest Panther version from 1st January 2025, via the flash-all script (https://developers.google.com/android/images), then applied the same updates again, I was still stuck on 1st November 2024

More details #2:

• I then contacted Google support by chat, which told me to contact the assistance by email
• I then contacted Google support by email, which, after a dozen of emails talking with an annoying AI, leading me to reinstall the Play Store updates (which was updating back to 44.5), and clearing any cache, told me to send my phone to a repair center
• I then found a workaround, by just navigating to Play Store > Settings > About > Update Play Store (which updated it from 44.5 to 44.6), and then went to settings > security & confidentiality > system & updates > Google Play system updates. From this point, a new Google Play system update has been found, and I have been able to update it from 1st November 2024 to 1st January 2025. It also fixed and updated outdated apps versions I was not able to get, according to the latest release notes (https://support.google.com/product-documentation/answer/14343500?hl=en). For instance, the Settings Services application (which cannot be updated manually), has then been updated from 1.1.0.67790336.sr to 1.1.0.697513890.sr
• I then reported this by email to the assistance, and the AI told me they can't do anything about this, and prompted me to report the issue to Google's developers team from my phone in settings > about > send a comment about the phone

This just can't be me, after I flashed the phone in 3 different ways and then fixed the issue by just updating a Play Store stuck on 44.5, which then allowed the Google Play system update to work....

I hope those explanations are making sense.

[mighty night]

Mine's February 1, 2025. I've tried updating it but got a weird error, After some digging around in the internet I'm confident that this is the latest and my assumption to that error is due to some weird error in code relating android 16-15 betas as it shows in the picture (I may be incorrect but that doesn't matter)

As for the google playstore app I just checked and it was indeed update 44.7.21

This is definitely not user error after doing all these steps, this is just ridiculous and I'm sorry it happened to you, I would be just as frustrated after wiping the system multiple times

"I hope those explainations are making sense." They are, it's just youre the only one with this problem

[proper talon]

Thanks a lot for the feedback, and glad to hear you're not facing this issue.

"I hope those explainations are making sense." They are, it's just youre the only one with this problem

I am not sure about that. This shouldn't happen over and over after wiping out the phones 3 times in different ways. Not sure I am the only one facing this. Anyone facing this issue won't receive a notification. I just realized it was happening by manually triggering the update, realizing it was stuck on 1st November 2024, checking the releases notes and change logs from latest Google System release, and by checking that the apps were not updated according to the latest change logs. Most users won't do that. Standard users definitely won't do that.

If I am the only one reporting this, It doesn't mean I am the only one affected.
If I can reproduce the issue by wiping out the phone 3 times in 3 different ways, it tends to mean the issue doesn't comes from me, and can also affect other people.
I am a developer, and used to debug software, or even provide support. As soon as an issue is reproducible from a default installation, there's an issue.

But, it doesn't mean the issue will affect anyone, and can depend on simple and various factors. For instance, I am updating the phone via mobile data (I don't use WIFI), and this kind of use case could be one of the reason it is happening to me, and not to others. However, I allowed any update from mobile data so it shouldn't be the issue actually.

But anyway, wiping out a phone 3 times in 3 different ways, and facing the same issue each time seems to be a software / android issue to me. Especially if the whole bunch of issues can just be fixed by just forcing a manual update of the Play Store.

Thanks again for your feedback, that's appreciated!