What’s New in Google Android January 2025 System Updates

The monthly “Google System Release Notes» mainly detail the new features of Play services, the Play Store and the Play system update on Android phones/tablets, Wear OS, Google/Android TV, Auto and PC. Some features apply to end users, while others are aimed at developers.

The following proprietary applications constitute the “Google System”:

A feature appearing in the changelog does not mean it is widely available. Some features take months to fully launch.

System intelligence Android U.41/V.16 (01/20/2025)

• [Phone] Bug fixes and improvements to the Pixel Now Playing Album Art feature.

Google Play Store v44.6 (01/20/2025)

• [Auto, PC, Phone, TV, Wear] If you live in Cameroon, Ivory Coast, and Senegal, you can now use your local currency to make purchases on Google Play.
• [Phone] With this change, you will be able to see a VPN badge on independently verified VPN apps.

Google Play Services v25.02 (01/20/2025)

Device Connectivity

• [Phone, Wear] We’ve fixed service issues related to device connections to improve your overall experience.

Google Play Store v44.5 (2025-01-13)

• [Phone] With this new feature, you will get snippets of search results in English (United States) that are more relevant to your query.
• [Phone] When you upgrade your Android phone, you can now restore your favorite apps faster on the new device.

Google Play Services v25.01 (2025-01-13)

Developer Services

• [Phone] New developer features that allow Google and third-party app developers to support utility-related processes in their apps.

Android WebView v132 (2025-01-07)

• New developer features for Google and third-party app developers to support features related to displaying web content in their apps.
• Security and privacy improvements and updates for bug fixes.

Important: Some features may be experimental and available to some users.

The first entry of the year is quiet. Our Android 15 Pixel stable phone is still on the Google Play system update of November 1, 2024, while the latest stable Play Services version is 24.49.33.

Google Play Store v44.4 (01/06/2025)

• [Phone] You can find different formats on the App Details page when you browse more apps.