Google’s upcoming Android 16 operating system will drastically reduce application update times, aiming to virtually eliminate user downtime by cutting installation freezes from seconds to mere milliseconds.
This enhancement introduces a new feature known as "seamless application updates," promising nearly instantaneous installations.
The company stated that the period applications are frozen during updates will now be reduced from "several seconds" to "tens of milliseconds."
Previously, the Android system paused applications during updates to prevent issues while code and resources were modified. This freeze could inconvenience users, especially with larger applications that might go offline long enough to affect other dependent services.
Software developers achieved this efficiency gain by moving specific execution scripts, dexopt and dex2oat, to an earlier phase of the installation process.
This reordering eliminates the need to run these scripts while applications are temporarily halted for updates, streamlining the entire procedure.
Google affirms that these faster, continuous updates will not compromise application stability or performance to save a few seconds.
While users with a small number of lightweight applications may not perceive a significant change, those who frequently install and update numerous resource-intensive applications are expected to notice a considerable improvement.
This latest modification underscores Android 16’s ongoing efforts to enhance overall system performance and improve the user experience.