Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Google will soon allow Play Store users to remotely uninstall apps from connected devices.
- This feature will be available in Play Store version 38.8.
- Users can also sort apps by size, making it easier to uninstall heavy apps.
Google released the December Play Services update a few days ago. In it, the Android maker describes a new Play Store feature that allows users to remotely uninstall apps from connected devices. This feature is not yet available on Android devices at this time, but code detectives were able to enable it by flipping some flags.
Tipster Assemble Debug has explained the entire process of uninstalling an app remotely via Play Store in a new blog post. This feature provides access to the features of version 38.8 of the Play Store.
Just as you can now remotely install apps on signed-in Android devices, you can also uninstall apps from selected connected devices. That said, the uninstall process seems to be a bit more complicated than the install feature.
Once widely available, you will be able to uninstall the app from your Play Store connected devices by following these steps.
- Tap your profile picture in the Play Store and open Manage apps and devices
- Swipe to the Manage section
- Tap on your current device name to see a list of all connected devices
- Select the device you want to uninstall the app from
- Select from the list of apps displayed on that device
- Tap the delete icon in the top right corner to uninstall the selected app
The tipster says you can sort the apps you want to uninstall by name and size. This makes it easier to identify and remove heavy apps that take up more space on your device. Additionally, there appears to be a bug currently affecting this functionality. Not all apps currently installed on your device are listed. However, this issue could be resolved if Google rolls out this feature more widely.
According to Google’s changelog, the app uninstall feature should be available on Auto, PC, Phone, TV, and Wear OS.