Android’s versatility extends far beyond smartphones, powering thebest Google TVs, vehicles, andwrist-worn wearables. The operating system is open to developers, and allows you to build and install apps from any source. However, Google’s Play Store offers a few advantages, including support for remote app installation on any of your connected devices. Now, the facility could extend to remote app removal as well.
Using the Play Store on every device running a variation of the Android OS may not be easy. On a smart TV, it can be challenging to type in app names and traverse the Play Store using just the remote. On wearables, you may find the smaller display limiting. In any case, using the Play Store on your desktop, Android phone, or tablet is usually easier and quicker, especially because Google allows you to install new apps on devices where you’ve signed in using the same Gmail account.
The system works as long as both devices have an active internet connection, even if the target for the installation is halfway around the world. In the absence of an internet connection, the download and installation begins as soon as the targeted device connects to the internet again. However, this is only for app installations, and you have to physically operate the connected device to get rid of unwanted apps.
Google could finally do away with this limitation too, as suggested by thelatest Play Store updateto version 38.3 (viaAndroid Authority). Google simply said the update adds a new feature to help uninstall apps on connected devices. It didn’t specify if we would be limited to just a few app categories or if only select types of Android devices will be compatible. Assuming Google doesn’t impose any restrictions on this feature right off the bat, you should be able to find apps installed on connected devices and uninstall them if needed, without ever touching them.
Even if we were limited by the type of device, support for remote app removal would be most desirable on smartwatches and smart TVs, both of which aren’t usually easy to access. This feature would be even more beneficial if the Google Play Store automatically uninstalls an app from one device if you remove it from a connected device. When youcancel a Netflix subscriptionand uninstall the app from your phone, there’s little need for the app on your TV, especially given how aggressively the streaming service iscracking down on account sharing. Google could implement this as a checkbox that pops up when you uninstall an app on any of your devices, and checking it would remove it from all your other devices as well.
We are yet to see remote installation in the wild, but we hope it is worth the wait, considering support for installation from any device has been around for many years now.
