Google is a company with a lot of resources. But that doesn't mean it has the time and the will to keep all of its apps updated to the newest needs and trends.
Take Google Contacts for example. The app received its last major update in November 2018 with version 3.2. What's more, Google never required Android smartphone manufacturers to ship their phones with the app.
What this means, that the app is never pre-installed on Android phones (other than Google's own Pixel, and Nexus phones).
But given by how simple and effective the app is, Google Contacts managed to cross an impressive 500 million downloads on the Google Play Store.
The app has been around since 2015. With that many downloads, it seems that Google managed to provide the app with features that is still relevant in 2020.
One that is the most notable, would be the contact sync and backup options, which should come in handy for users.
While the app has not received any major updates in two years, Google Contacts did received some minor updates.
One of the most notable, recent updates, was introduced back in August.
At that time Google Contacts has been given an emergency calls feature, allowing users to highlight saved contact in order to be used in an emergency situation.
The feature is also designed to prevent random people from being disturbed in an emergency or even to not frighten a specific relative who does not have the health or the capacity to handle the bad news well over the phone.
If Google ever wanted the app to be shipped on Android phones by default, 1 billion downloads should be easy for the app to cross.
But either way, 500 million downloads for Google Contacts in around five years is still an impressive milestone, with very few other contact management applications being able to match that figure.
With 500 million installs mark, Google Contacts is joining others with similar number of downloads, like YouTube GO, Android Auto, and Google Files.
Related: Netflix's Android App Surpasses 1 Billion Downloads On Google Play Store