Google Play system update January 2023: what’s new

Every month Google rolls out a new security update for Android. However, that is not the only update that is being distributed. The Google Play system update is also rolled out every month. Now we know the information about this January update.

Google Play update January

We have arrived at the first Google Play update of 2023; the January update. Google releases a new Google Play system update monthly. This addresses and improves various things in Android. This concerns, for example, things that are connected to the Google apps or an Android-wide ‘problem’. In the January 2023 Google Play system update, we see several fixes, including a critical fix that addresses bug fixes in account management, security, and privacy. There is also an improvement for Google Play Games and there are optimizations for the Google Play Store.

Along with the update that Google rolls out, a changelog will also be released. It states exactly which improvements have been made by Google. Because Google releases these updates for Android devices itself, you are not dependent on the manufacturer of your device. It can certainly take some time before the update is actually available for your tablet or smartphone. You can check this manually through the following steps; Settings > information about the phone > software information / Android version > Google Play system update.

Changelog

Critical Fixes

• [Phone, Wear OS] Bug fixes for Account Management, Security & Privacy, System Management & Diagnostics, and Utilities related services.^[1][3][5]

Games

• [Phone, PC] Expanding the range of users and use cases supported by the Play Games profile.^[2]

Security & Privacy

• [Phone] Password manager helps you save different passwords to your Google account and lets you use them across various websites and devices. With the new change, you will be able to add notes to your existing and new passwords.^[5]

Wallet

Developer Services

• [Phone] New developer features for Google and third party app developers to support Device Connectivity, and Machine Learning & AI related developer services in their apps.^[2][4]
• [Phone] Update the platform QR scanner with the ability to select an existing photo and add support for handling Matter and UPI codes from OEM cameras.^[4]

System Management

• [Phone] Updates to System Management, and Usability services that improve Device Connectivity, Device Performance, Network Usage, Privacy, Security, Stability, and Usability.^[1][2]

^{[1] Available through Google Play system update for January
[2] Available through Google Play services v01.23 updated on 01/18/2023
[3] Available through Google Play Store v33.5 updated on 01/18/2023
[4] Available through Google Play services v02.23 updated on 01/18/2023}