Google play store apps not updating since oreo update

[StuartL]

This update seems to have fixed the video capture  issue and left me with another. Now Google play store wil not update apps. I keep getting error code 506. Seems this is a common problem also. I have deleted cache and data from Google play and services. Restarted the phone ovov and over. Unmounted the memory card and all other steps suggested when searching for this issue. Any other ideas please sony? 

[BobT]

Ok so I'm still battling with Sony support, the most recent response is:

---

Kindly note that according to the android version's security and regulation, there is no option to update the applications on the SD card."

Which as we all know, is a load.

PLEASE assist me on reporting this. Is there a more general "incident" section of this forum where we can collate these issues into a single thread to try and get their attention, while I continue to deal with them by e-mail? One user reported this started on the 28th Feb, which matches up with what I'm seeing.

Here are just the threads I've found so far:

• /t5/Xperia-XA1-Ultra/Google-Play-store/m-p/1370018
• /t5/Xperia-XZ1/Application-does-not-install/m-p/1368741
• /t5/Xperia-XA1/Can-t-update-applications-in-the-Google-Play-store/m-p/1369757
• /t5/Other-Sony-Mobile-Applications/Uppdating-apps/m-p/1368597
• /t5/Xperia-XA1-Plus/About-updating-apps/m-p/1368030
• /t5/Xperia-XZ1/Problem-updating-apps/m-p/1366411
• /t5/Xperia-L1/Apps-won-t-update-xperia-L1/m-p/1363002
• /t5/Xperia-Z5-Z5-Compact-Z5-Premium/Can-t-update-applications-in-the-Google-Play-store/td-p/1366825
• /t5/Xperia-XA1-Ultra/Unable-to-to-update-apps-on-play-store/td-p/1364785
• /t5/Xperia-XA1/Updates/m-p/1364369
• /t5/Xperia-X-Compact/Google-play-store-apps-not-updating-since-oreo-update/td-p/1305154
• /t5/Xperia-XZ/Some-apps-with-auto-update-enabled-will-not-update/m-p/1363232
• /t5/Xperia-XA1-Ultra/App-update/m-p/1369971
• /t5/Xperia-XA1-Ultra/Apps-in-SD-card-fail-to-update/m-p/1367239
• /t5/Xperia-XA1/Apps-on-sd-card-not-updating/m-p/1367007

You'd think this would be enough to treat it as a incident...

[Syncr0s]

There might be 2 angles with this. For those with a Z5, Nougat is the latest version on 7.1.1, and for that version their line is not valid.

[Syncr0s]

There might be 2 angles with this. For those with a Z5, Nougat is the latest version on 7.1.1, and for that version their line is not valid.

If they are talking about 8.1, then it looks like Google changed app security to not allow app installations onto external storage.

[BobT]

Hmm can you link me an article or something on that, please? They're just litterally repeating the same line back at me now.

All I can find on the subject is here:

https://support.sonymobile.com/gb/xperiaxa/faq/how-do-i/023101880740ee8f1014923d18e780059e3/
https://support.google.com/android/answer/6088895?hl=en-GB

Even in Andrid Pie (the latest), there's the option to store apps on the SD card, so why wouldn't it be able to update them?

I know at some point they changed the permissions to you have to move them youself now, and apps switching data on / off etc could only take you to the screen, not do it for you. Same with SD card mover apps, where it takes you to the Storage choice screen.

However even after that, Google Play was still able to update any apps stored on the SD card, whether it did it directly, or reinstalled the app to the device (ready for you to move), not these symptoms of it just straight-up not working.

Also how do they explain the FIFTEEN threads all around the same time, reporting these exact same symptoms? AND THE FACT THAT IT WORKS IF WE UNINSTALL GOOGLE PLAY UPDATES.

It also still works completely fine on my GF's Samsung Galaxy, same with all my colleagues at work who can update SD card apps just fine, on various versions on Android. The only people who seem to have this problem are Sony owners, and only since February.

Sounds like they're talking ******** to me, and instead it's an incompatibility with the latest Google Play and Sony's Android.

I'm aware that it only really stores the APK file, BUT THIS IS STILL NECESSARY in such cases like this: https://imgur.com/a/j8aNfQj

[BobT]

Just had a chat with Google Support, and Storing / Updating apps on the SD card is perfectly supported, so as expected, Sony is talking utter b*******.

As mentioned, it still works perfectly fine on my partner's Galaxy S4 too, and on any of my colleague's devices that are a different brand, (8.1 or later).

Google Response: https://imgur.com/M3d8HzM

[Syncr0s]

Hey BobT,

Most of what I've found is comments on forums, as opposed to documentation.

Given you now have an official Google response, it will be interesting to see how Sony respond.

Syncr0s

[BobT]

Indeed, none of that seems to be true. Updating SD Card stored apps works absolutely fine on an S7 as well. All Google guides I can find point to storing apps on the SD Card being a viable option.

So far all I'm getting are the usual canned responses, going in a loop now:

Regarding your query that all applications can't be updated on the SD card, kindly note that some applications not all of them must be on the internal storage in order to work an run properly, therefore if these applications are on the SD card they won't work, therefore they won't update. 

Regarding your query about updating the applications on your SD card, kindly note that some application don't work or update on the SD card. You can check for the new updates for any application on Google Play and select update.

Kindly note that  according to the Android version's security and regulation, there is no option to update the applications on the SD card.

(They sent that one to me twice in a row, even after I proved it to be false)

Kindly note that according to the android version's security and regulation, there is no option to update the applications on the SD card.

Kindly note that the provided information provided to you regarding When you move an app to the external SD card, only the application APK is moved, is applicable on your Xperia Z5 Compact.

When you move an app to the external SD card, only the application APK is moved. The APK is the file that was downloaded when you installed the app from Google Play. Additional data, such as private data, databases and Opaque Binary Blob (OBB) files will remain on the internal storage. The OBB files are not affected at all when you move an app, since the OBB file is generally put outside the app folder. The path is known by the app and used by the app. The path can't be changed, otherwise the app would not find the OBB file.

Note! Xperia XZ3, Xperia XZ2, Xperia XZ2 Compact, Xperia XZ2 Premium, Xperia XZ1, Xperia XZ1 Compact, Xperia XZ Premium, Xperia XA2 Plus, Xperia XA2 and Xperia XA2 Ultra do not support moving apps to a memory card.

please be advised that the application them selves has system requirements and in this case we suspect that those application is no longer supporting Android version 7 then we highly recommend the applications developer to check for the compatibility of those applications with your software version

Kindly note that not all apps work properly on the sd card, so not all apps can be updated while on the sd card.

We hope this helps.

Can you see what I'm up against here? This is even after they went through the rigmarole of asking me to "repair" my device etc, (obv not reading the report which clearly shows this issue is device independant). This is even after I linked them all those FIFTEEN threads of everyone here encountering the same thing at the same time.

I'm beginning to think these aren't even real people, just bots.

PLEASE assist me in reporting this, otherwise it's never going to get fixed. This seems to ONLY be Sony brand phones that are affected. I litterally don't have enough space to store all my apps on the device, and certainly not enough time to keep moving them back / forth all the time.

[BobT]

Progress...I think.

Had to ring them up as the next support guy pasted me a load of crap about resetting proxy settings for Vodafone.. (which I'm not on).

After much discussion, (and  them finding only the two workarounds we already know about, moving apps to device temporarily, or uninstalling updates to Google Play), they admitted there's nothing more they can do, and will escalate the issue to Sony developers, to be fixed in the next Android update. (FINALLY! That's all I wanted! After a whole month of e-mails..).

Couple of concerns over whether that will actually get done, and whether my android version 7.1.1 will actually GET an update anymore (haven't seen any in yonks), but we shall see.

I'll ring again next week  to check progress. Please, anyone else, report this too though and hopefully they should have a note that it's already been logged and being worked on...