Google Play Services is probably the most important app in your phone, which doesn’t even appear to exist. But it is one of the core apps in your phone and it can does cool functions. Google has released an update to the Google Play Services, which brings the app version to 5.0.

Of the new features include the support for Android Wear devices, so that the Android wear devices can work with your phone. The next big one on the list is the Dynamic Security Provider, which allows Google to update and bring in security patches for bugs and security holes without even updating your phone. This one’s a crucial one as every once in a while there may be some security glitches, that needs to fixed. The full list of change log from Android developers blog is provided below.

  • Services for Android wearables — Your apps can more easily communicate and sync with code running on Android wearables through an automatically synchronized, persistent data store and a reliable messaging interface.
  • Play Games services — Build a great gaming experience with Quests, which allow event-based challenges for players to complete for rewards, Saved Games (a snapshot API allow synchronization of game data along with a cover-image and description), and Game Profile (providing experience points for players).
  • App Indexing API — Surface deep content in your native mobile applications on Google search and drive additional user engagement.
  • Google Cast — Use media tracks to enable closed-caption support for Chromecast.
  • Drive — Sort query results, create offline folders, and select any mime type in the file picker by default.
  • Wallet — Build a “Save to Wallet” button for offers directly into your app; use geo-fenced in-store notifications to prompt the user to show and scan digital cards. Split tender allows payment to be split between Wallet Balance and a credit/debit card in Google Wallet.
  • Analytics — Get insights into the full user journey and understand how different user acquisition campaigns are performing with Enhanced Ecommerce, letting you measure product impressions, product clicks, and more.
  • Mobile Ads — Use improved in-app purchase ads and integrations for the Play store in-app purchase API client.
  • Dynamic Security Provider — Offers an alternative to the platform’s secure networking APIs that can be updated more frequently, for faster delivery of security patches.

Google Play Service 5.0 update is slowly pushing out to all Android users worldwide, however if you need/want to install the update now on your phone, then grab the Google Play Services APK file from the link below and install it normally like you’d install any other APK file.

Download Google Play Services APK → download link.

For help on installing APK file, head on over here → How to Install APK files on Android.