Google has just pushed out Android 13 to the public, but brand-new Android releases aren’t the only updates coming to modern Android devices. Google has started offering public changelogs for Google Play system updates this year. Those are releases that upgrade part of the underlying infrastructure of your phone without touching the OS itself, as Google detached certain modules to make them more easily updatable on the fly. The latest in line are the August 2022 update notes, and they have some neat enhancements in store for us.

Compared to the July 2022 release, there haven’t been updates to the Play Store partition of the Play services — the changelog remains exactly the same across the two updates here.

Those who frequent the Android Help app for support are in for a pleasant update, though. Google notes that it has switched out the app's theme for one with Material You’s dynamic colors. There is also a new settings screen for Google Play services that is supposed to offer clearer visuals and better control.

August 2022

Google Play Store

  • Improvements to Play-as-you-download feature to let gamers start playing mobile games while the app download continues to reduce waiting times.[3]
  • New Features to help you discover the Apps & Games you love.[3]
  • Optimizations allowing faster and more reliable download and installation.[3]
  • New features to the Play Pass and Play Points programs.[3]
  • Enhancements to Google Play Billing.[3]
  • Continuous improvements to Play Protect to keep your device safe.[3]
  • Various performance optimizations, bug fixes and improvements to security, stability and accessibility.[3]

Support

  • [Phone] This release adds link groups to GoogleHelp to give users detailed help instructions from apps.[2]
  • [Phone] Adds support for Material 3 dynamic color in Android Help.[2]

System Management & Diagnostics

  • [Phone] New settings screens provide better visibility into and control over the functionality in Google Play services on your device.[2]

Utilities

  • [Phone] New UI for AutoFill.[2]

Wallet

  • [Phone] Allows users to add new eMoney cards to Google Pay to pay on transit and in stores in Japan.[2]

Developer Services

  • New developer features for Google and third party app developers to support Location & Context related developer services in their apps.[2]

System Management

  • Updates to system management services that improve security, and stability.[2]

[2] Available through Google Play services v33.22 updated on 08/18/2022

[3] Available through Google Play Store v31.1 updated on 07/28/2022.

Another neat addition is a new UI for AutoFill. While we don’t have this new interface on any of our devices just yet, we’ll be on the lookout for what exactly has changed as the new update is rolled out.

All of these updates are available through Google Play Store version 33.22, which was released on August 18 and is currently in the process of rolling out. To check your current version, open the Play Store, tap your account icon, head to Settings and then the About section. Here, you can both view the current version and update it. It’s possible that you won’t get the newest release right away, though, as Google uses a staged rollout model and only makes new versions available to more people over time, even if you smash that button.