3 Confusing Android Updates Explained

Currently, the Android platform rolls out three main types of updates at their respective timings: standard “Software Updates,” “Google System Updates,” and “Google Play System Updates.”

However, it can be difficult to distinguish which update handles what. While Google provides “Google System Updates” and “Google Play System Updates” to supplement Android features and bug fixes that standard software updates might not cover, the nuances of these differences are generally not well understood by the public.

In this article, we will explain these three types of confusing Android updates.

Software Update

A Software Update is a manufacturer-led update. It is based on the Android OS source code released by Google, but each manufacturer adds its own customizations before distribution.

Software updates include major Android OS version upgrades, security patch level updates, and the rollout of manufacturer-specific features. Because these depend on the manufacturer’s development cycle, the timing of delivery varies significantly depending on the manufacturer and the specific device model.

Google System Update

“Google System Updates” is a collective term for updates to various system service apps aimed at improving the security and reliability of Android-related devices.

A “Google System Update” is not delivered as a single monolithic update. Instead, convenient new features that enhance device security and reliability are provided through individual updates to system apps, most notably “Google Play Services” and the “Google Play Store.” Currently, the system apps related to “Google System Updates” are listed within the newly established “System Services” setting on Android devices.

However, updates for the “Google Play Store” app are handled within the Play Store app itself rather than through the “System Services” settings.

While it is called an “update,” the fact that it isn’t a single package but rather an umbrella term for multiple system app updates is one of the main reasons it is so complicated and difficult to understand.

Google Play System Update

The “Google Play System Update” is originally a subset of the “Google System Update” and, as the name suggests, focuses on system updates related to “Google Play.”

The “Google Play System Update” primarily manages the security aspects of Google Play. Specifically, the “Security Patch Level” updates published on the 1st of every month in the “Android Security Bulletins” are generally delivered once a month as a “Google Play System Update.”

Notably, the “Mainline services” app—one of the “System Services” released around mid-November 2025—now governs the “Google Play System Update.”