You've probably encountered a problem with your Android device, and depending on the nature of it, most issue are directly related to the
Google Play Services. We gathered a few
Google Play Services errors and their potential fixes which most users will find useful, however the tool is still a mystery to many who are not aware what exactly it is and why its so essential. Here we shed some light on what it is and why it’s so important.
What is Google Play Services?
If it acts like an app, then it’s probably an app. Nope that’s not the case with the Google Play Services. Though it comes pre-installed on all Android devices and it has features you’d expect from an app such as regular updates, nothing actually happens when you launch it on your device. Google Play Services basically acts like part and parcel of the Android operating system, given that it makes use of all kinds of permissions, from requiring access to Google apps’ information, control and access to SMS services as well as access to sensitive log data, among many others.The purpose of this is to form a collection of APIs that ensure that only a few apps are powered by Android OS updates.
Why Google Play Services are important?
Put simply, Google Play Services are essential in the upgrade of Google’s very own pre-installed apps to the latest versions, without the need of your device’s Android system first being updated to the latest version. For instance, prior to the
existence of Google Play Services, an app such as Google Photos would require the Android OS to be updated before it can receive its own update. Thanks to Google Play Services, apps are now automatically updated rather than having to wait until carriers and smartphone manufacturers decide to push out Android OS updates.It is worth mentioning that this only applies to apps that make use of Google Play Services, most especially apps developed by Google such as Google+, Google Maps, Gmail, Google Play Store and so on.However, this doesn’t mean that all other apps suffer independent of OS updates, basically any version of Android between v.2.2 and beyond can benefit from the Google Play Services’ automatic update advantage.
Can it be disabled?
Google Play Services, like any other app on Android by default, cannot be uninstalled, though there is still an option of disabling it. If you choose to take the risk and disable the Google Play Services (not advisable), then head into your device's
Settings >> Apps >> All >> Google Play Services >> Disable.If the Disable check-box is not accessible, you can alternatively go to
Settings >> Security >> Device administrators >> and have
Android Device Manager disabled.It goes without saying that once you have disabled Google Play Services, all apps depending on it, including the Google-based apps, will either seize functioning properly or if even at all.What do you think about the functionalities of Google Play Services? Let us know in the comments.
