TL;DR
- Google Play System updates deliver crucial features to Android devices, but uninstalling problematic ones has been tricky.
- Google has offered a rollback tool, but that requires connecting to a computer over the Android Debug Bridge.
- Right now, Google is rolling out an on-device uninstall option through “Mainline services.”
When something goes wrong on our Android devices, one of the first things we think about is “what recently changed, and how can I undo it?” If that’s an app we installed, we can usually remove it without too much trouble. And if it comes down to it, we can always take the nuclear option and factory reset — or, failing that, flashing to a more recent firmware that we know works. But what if we’re having a problem with a Google Play System update and would rather not start from scratch? As it turns out, Google’s in the process of giving us a new option there.
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