Google could soon let you uninstall apps remotely

Google introduced its latest Play Store v38.3 (2023-11-06), with a changelog that includes, a “New feature to help you uninstall apps on connected devices” to help you uninstall apps remotely. You might see the ability to do so in the near future.

Android powers a wide range of devices ranging from smartwatches to Android TVs. Talking about the Play Store, it works on all of the platforms. However, the experience you get, is not quite as seamless as on your phone or computer.

Not all of them with different form factors can seamlessly access the installation or uninstallation process of an app. They have different characteristics to how you interact with them for certain tasks. For example, typing in the TV or navigating through your watch to find out the app you want.

Thankfully, you could already install an app on one of your devices (such as your Wear OS watch) remotely from your phone or computer. It works via the Play Store, when connected to the same Google account.

Notably, it was only the installation process. There was no support for remote uninstalls up until this point. As Android Police put it, there’s very little chance that you will need Netflix on your TV after you cancel the subscription and uninstall the app from your phone.

Improved integration for ‘connected’ Android devices to let you uninstall apps remotely

Now, the company has revealed a new feature to help you easily uninstall apps on your connected devices via the Play Store.

Google didn’t provide many details about this feature, leaving users in suspense regarding which device categories it would support. However, it’s reasonable to assume that this feature will have a significant impact on Wear OS smartwatches at the very least. Moreover, tablet and TV apps could theoretically also be uninstalled via your phone using this method.

This feature should be considered as a welcome addition to the ecosystem, even if it remains limited for the smartwatches in the beginning.

Either way, this development showcases Google’s efforts to create tighter integration between phones and connected devices inside the Android ecosystem.