In the world where devices are connected through accounts, things couldn't be easier.
Users of Android, for example, can sign into a device using an account, and install an app to another device that where the users are also signed in to. All they have to do, is visit the Play Store, and hit that 'install' button, and then choose an installation target.
So here, it makes sense if users also want to be able to uninstall apps remotely.
Google knows this too.
And this is why it's making that happen.
In an update, users can open the Play Store on their smartphone and uninstall installed apps on their tablet, smartwatch, or TV.
Google announced this in a support page, which says "New feature to help you uninstall apps on connected devices."
Initially, the feature that isn't activated, allows users to open Play Store and uninstalling an app would bring up a list of devices, just like installing does.
It also works similarly too.
Under the hood, it utilizes Android's push notification system.
By default, hitting the install button on Google Play Store on a separate device, simply requests Google to send the app to the target device. Similarly, hitting the uninstall sends requests to Google to remove the app from the target device.
The feature doesn't need the device to be on or connected to the internet when it happens.
But as soon as it does, it will do was it is requested.
Google first introduced remote install functionality to Android when the Play Store was still called the Android Market.
This happened in 2011.
12 years later, in 2023, Google finally brings the remote uninstall functionality.
It's worth noting though, that the feature to remote uninstall apps has been around for as long as remote installs.
The thing is, only Google could use it.
In the past, Google can trigger the remote uninstall feature without user consent, and it occasionally uses this feature to remotely mass-uninstall malware from all Play Store devices.
This time marks the first time this feature is exposed to users.
Google is bringing this feature to the public starting Play Store version 38.8 to all compatible devices running Auto, PC, Phone, TV, and Wear.