Why Android says "Android System WebView was updated"

A notice that "Android System WebView was updated", or a list of "apps updated" from the Play Store, often mentions apps you never opened. These are parts of your phone that Google and your phone maker keep current through the app store instead of waiting for a full system update. The notifications are harmless and you can quiet them without stopping the updates.

Why did I get a notification that Android System WebView was updated?

Android System WebView is the browser engine other apps use to show web content inside themselves: a help page in your bank's app, a link opened inside a chat app, a sign-in screen. It is a system component, but it is delivered and updated through the Play Store, so its updates show up the same way any app's do. When the Play Store finishes updating it, the store can post a notification saying so.

Our Android System WebView page covers what it is and why you should keep it.

Why does WebView update so often?

WebView is built from Chromium, the same code as Chrome, and follows Chrome's schedule. Chrome moved to a new major version every four weeks in 2021, with smaller security releases in between. Each Chrome release brings a WebView release, so you can expect a WebView update roughly every few weeks, and sometimes within days of the last one when a security fix ships. On recent phones, WebView and Chrome also share a library package (com.google.android.trichromelibrary), which updates alongside them.

Frequent updates here are a good sign. A browser engine that renders web pages from anywhere needs its security fixes quickly.

Which other system apps update through the Play Store?

On a phone with Google apps, many preinstalled parts update this way:

• Google Play services and the Play Store itself.
• Chrome and the Google app.
• Carrier Services, which handles RCS chat in Messages.
• Android System Intelligence and Private Compute Services, the on-device features on Pixel and other phones.
• Gboard, Android Accessibility Suite (TalkBack and Select to Speak), Digital Wellbeing and Google Play system update.

Google Play system updates are different: they update core Android modules and appear in Settings as a dated system item, sometimes asking for a restart. Samsung phones also update Samsung's apps through Galaxy Store, and your phone maker's update client delivers security patches and new versions.

Where do these notifications come from?

There are four common sources:

• The Play Store, after it updates apps automatically or when updates are waiting.
• Galaxy Store and other maker stores, for the maker's own apps.
• Google Play system update, when a module update needs a restart.
• The phone maker's software update app, for security patches and Android upgrades.

To see which app posted a notification, touch and hold it. Android shows the app's name and a settings shortcut.

How do I turn the notifications off without stopping updates?

The quickest way is from the notification itself: touch and hold it, tap the settings icon, and turn off that category. Android sorts each app's notifications into categories, so you can silence "updates completed" and keep the rest.

You can also go through the Play Store: tap your profile picture, then Settings > Notifications, and switch off the update notifications. For any app, Settings > Notifications > App notifications lists every app with a switch, and tapping the app's name shows its categories.

Should I turn off automatic updates?

For system components, no. WebView, Chrome, Google Play services and Carrier Services all carry security and compatibility fixes that other apps rely on. If data use is the worry, set the Play Store to update over Wi-Fi only: profile picture > Settings > Network preferences > Auto-update apps > Over Wi-Fi only.

Disabling a system app stops its updates. That is fine for an app you do not use, but disabling WebView or Play services to stop the notices will break other apps.

What if an update causes problems?

Bad releases are rare but happen. In March 2021, a faulty WebView build made many apps crash at once until Google shipped fixed versions of WebView and Chrome. If an app starts crashing right after an update:

1. Check the Play Store for a newer version and install it.
2. If none exists yet, roll the update back: Settings > Apps, show system apps, open the app, tap the three-dot menu, then Uninstall updates.
3. Restart the phone, and let the app update again a few days later.

If the crashes are in the status bar or navigation, see "System UI has stopped".