The Google Play Music app on Android is getting a final update that offers a new option to help you hide the app from your phone's app list. The update comes just weeks after Google removed the option to allow users to download their Play Music library using Google Takeout.
According to a recent report from 9to5Google, the latest Google Play Music update (v. 8.29.9112-1.W) has already started rolling out to users via the Play Store. While you’ll still see the “Google Play Music is no longer available” screen after the update, the app now has a new “Free up space” section at the bottom. This section will help you “delete Google Play Music local data from your device to free up space.”.
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The new Free up space section in Google Play Music includes three options – Hide app, Delete all local data, and Open app info. The Hide app option lets you hide the app from your phone’s home screen and app list, the Delete all local data option removes the stored data from your device, and the Open app info option displays the “App info” page. The Hide app option is the final nail in the coffin for Google Play Music, as it not only removes the app from your app drawer, but also prevents you from opening it.
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The new update to Google Play Music addresses a key concern for those who have devices that have the app pre-installed. On such devices, Google Play Music is installed as a system app and, as such, can only be disabled from the “App info” page. Thanks to the update, users will now be able to easily remove the app and all local data from their phones.
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The update doesn't make any difference for devices that came with the YouTube Music. This is because you can uninstall Google Play Music on such devices, just like you would uninstall any other app you've downloaded from the Play Store. If you have such a device, you should see an uninstall button in the app's Play Store listing.
Information source: xda-developers.com
