While the monthly security updates from Google, Samsung and others drive headlines, there is a quieter process in the background which is just as important. Google updates the core system services underpinning Android, which helps secure your phone.
Until now, updating these services has been fairly sporadic, with frequent reports of delays and phones lagging behind. Now Google is about to fix this, and for a billion Android users in particular, that’s critical.
Per 9to5Google, “Google is now adding a new ‘System services’ settings page to manage all the background services installed on your Android device and more easily update them. This new ‘System services’ page will list all the services/applications (with most not having user interfaces) from Google that help keep your phone or tablet running.”
As Android Authority explains, while “most of these services are updated monthly, distinct from routine Android firmware updates,” doing so requires “downloading the latest updates for most of these apps or services through the Google Play Store.”
That will now change with this central update dashboard, which will ensure phones are current even if automatic Play Store updates are disabled. The risk has always been that “some of these updates may get overlooked despite being crucial,” and “also addresses the fact that your Android device is never truly up to date.”
Courtesy of 9to5Google, the services that will be updated include:
- Adaptive Connective Services
- Android System Intelligence
- Android System Key Verifier
- Android System SafetyCore
- Cross-Device Services
- Device Connectivity Service
- Device Health Services
- Google Play services
- Google Play Services for AR
- Settings Services
Critically, as pointed out by Android Authority, “the System services dashboard is rolling out to devices running Android 6 Marshmallow or later.”
This comes as warnings continue for the billion Android users running Android 12 or older, given Google no longer provides monthly security updates. The company has also updated its Play Integrity API to further differentiate Android 13 or newer.
The numbers are stark. Below is the list of Android OS versions and market share between Android 6 and Android 12, all of which need this latest update in lieu of upgrading their hardware, which in reality should be a priority.
Per Composables, this could particularly impact as much as half of the current install base, not yet running Android 13 or newer:
- Android 6 (Marshmallow) 0.7%
- Android 7 (Nougat) 0.6%
- Android 7.1 (Nougat) 0.6%
- Android 8 (Oreo) 1.0%
- Android 8.1 (Oreo) 3.0%
- Android 9 (Pie) 5.8%
- Android 10 (Q) 10.2%
- Android 11 (R) 15.9%
- Android 12 (S) 12.8%
Android Authority advises that “this new dashboard is expected to accompany the Google System Services update for July 2025. On your Android device, head over to Settings > Privacy & Security > System services to view the list of internal services that keep all the features of your Android phone running smoothly.”