Android 11 to Bring Seamless Update Feature, and Everyone Will Have to Use It

Starting with Android 11, a new feature called seamless update support will be implemented by default, and it’ll be obligatory for any company that chooses to use this version of the operating system.

The primary function of a seamless update system is to reduce the downtime of any device during the process. Until now, especially in older versions of the operating system, the installation process for a large OS update would take a device offline for a long time.

Another important aspect of the seamless update system is protection against mismanaged updates. It’s true that the possibility of an update bricking the OS has been greatly reduced in recent years, but it still could be a problem.

The new system works by using a couple of identical partitions that include the system, the vendor, and product partitions. One of the identical partitions is active and one is inactive. When a new update is available, it’s installed on the inactive partition. When the process is completed, the user is asked to reboot and the inactive and patched partition is now used. The other one remains untouched if there is a problem with a patch, allowing the user to return to the previous state if necessary.

The Android OS is used on a large variety of devices in the IoT world, and this measure will ease the updating process for many companies. Also, according to an XDA report, this feature will be compulsory for all companies that want to adopt Android 11. If they don’t activate the seamless update, they won’t be able to use Google Mobile Services.

Android 11 doesn’t have an official release date, but new releases usually come in the fall. It’s impossible to say if the current epidemic will change Google’s plans for deploying the new OS.