Google is making updating Android apps easier than ever
ANDROID app updates are about to get a major size change as Google looks to save you running up huge data bills.
Google is looking to help users save on the space they use for apps on their devices
Google has revealed a major change to how users update apps on their Android devices - and it could help stop you running up accidental huge data bills.
The online giant has unveiled a new system for updating Android apps which it says greatly reduces the amount of data needed to do so.
Users can save up to 65 per cent for many popular apps, and as high as 90 per cent for some cases - meaning customers use up less of their data allowance when updating.
The move will greatly decreases the amount of data needed to update Android apps
The upgrade is thanks to the use of a new technique called File-by-File patching, which compares the old and new versions of an app before sending a patch which only updates the necessary files.
This also greatly compresses the amount of data needed to process an update on your device, resulting in the major space savings.
In a blog post explaning the changes, Google likened the process to an author changing a single sentence of a book about to be published, noting that, "it's much easier to tell the editor which sentence to change and what to change, rather than send an entirely new book."
Android Nougat's most INCREDIBLE new features
The only possible downside is that you'll need a powerful device to get the most out of the new system, as the more processing power your phone has, the quicker it'll be able to compress and download.
Luckily, the latest version of Android Nougat is set to run on some of the most advanced devices around today.
Google revealed yesterday that it was rolling out Android Nougat 7.1 to its Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P smartphones, Nexus 6 and Nexus 9 tablets, and Pixel C laptop - as well as the Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones.
Android 7.1 comes with a variety of new fetaures, including the ability to add app shortcuts directly from your home screen, simply by long pressing the app icon, allowing certain options to be accessed quickly and easily.
Also included is a restart button in the power menu, which was missing from the initial Android Nougat release, and support for sending stickers and GIFs in apps such as Google Allo, Google Messenger and Hangouts.
Google has also introduced a wide range of new and diverse emoji, including female versions of previous emoji that only had single-sex versions, like astronaut or rock star.