Key Takeaways
- Google Play Store’s upcoming new Download Manager could simplify managing app downloads.
- The Download Manager will supposedly show ongoing app downloads and unopened apps for easy access.
- Unlike typical download managers, the Play Store’s version will not allow to pause ongoing downloads.
Google keeps making changes to the Play Store to provide a better experience. In August this year, it rolled out personal data controls alongside the ability to download multiple app updates simultaneously. More recently, it was spotted testing a sticky Install button anchored to the top of the screen, providing quick access to download the app no matter where you are on its listing page. Now, Google seems to be working on a Download Manager for the Play Store, though it may not function like typical download managers.
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Let’s look to PCs for a few clues
A download manager typically helps you manage multiple downloads, allowing you to pause them individually or move them up or down the priority list. However, the upcoming Play Store Download Manager might not work similarly. The Android Authority team first spotted strings to the download manager in Google Play Store v42.9.16-31 and eventually enabled the feature in v43.2.16-29.
As the video below shows, the Download Manager will show any ongoing app downloads and recently installed apps that you have not opened yet.
If you frequently install a lot of apps and games from the Play Store, this will make them easy to open and ensure you don’t forget about them. Once you open a newly downloaded app, it will be removed from the download manager.
Google Play Store’s Download Manager might not let you pause downloads
The Play Store’s Download Manager will be accessible from the top header, positioned to the left of the overflow menu button when inside an app listing page. It will supposedly display a badge reflecting the number of apps and games you have recently downloaded.
Unlike a typical download manager, the Play Store’s Download Manager does not seem to provide an option to pause ongoing downloads. This could have been handy when you start a download on a slow connection and want to resume it later when you have access to a faster network.
For now, Google still appears to be testing the Download Manager for the Play Store. However, given that the feature is already in a working state, it should go live for the public sooner rather than later.