Google Play Store unable to find and pre-installed apps to update

[MrFranky]

In my current role I have to setup numerous mobile phones (majority Android). It has become a common nuisance that the Google Play Store cannot detect/find pre-installed apps. This is the case for:

• KitKat and Lolipop
• Sony Xperia Z3 Compact's
• Samsung Galaxy S5's

I currently have 11 Z3 Compact's in front of me, all of them encountered this issue, plus the many before it.

These screenshots are from two different phones.


From setup to Play Store.


Manually finding an app and updating it.

The phones will eventually find the updates, though it takes a day for it to occur. This is true for all Google and Sony pre-installed apps.

The main reason I bring this up is due to time constraints. I want to be able to have all the phones updated, consistent and off my desk. It's already a pain in the *** having to setup 11 Google, AD and email accounts.

I have tried uninstalling Play Services (and clearing data), clearing and uninstalling updates for Google Play Store, and I have tried a clean wipe. None have worked. All have the same version of Google Play Services.

Anyone have this? Anyone else get annoyed by it like me? No? Just me?

 

[B. Diddy]

Welcome to Android Central! This has been going on since I don't know when, and it's still going on. I'm sure Google's aware of it, but I'm not sure how high a priority it is for them. On a new device, I routinely do a search for all Google apps on Google Play Store, and look for the ones that are on the phone and have an update. I also search for any other preinstalled bloatware (or, shall I say, I would do that if I had to--I have two Nexus devices ). Once you've updated an app the first time, it will then show up in your Installed list.