Although the Google Play Store provides access to thousands of apps and games, downloads sometimes fail if you live in a region with patchy internet. You typically have to restart the download from the beginning when this occurs. However, it appears that a resume download function could be added to the Play Store soon to aid with this problem.

A fragment of code discovered in Play Store version 43.5.26-31 by the folks at Android Authority suggests that Google may be working on a “Smart Resume” feature. According to reports, users would be able to halt downloads in the middle and then pick up where they left off, albeit there isn’t a screenshot or video demonstrating this feature in operation.

The Smart Resume feature would operate as follows: App files are currently downloaded to a temporary location by the Play Store prior to installation. After the app is installed, these temporary files are removed. Instead, users could continue and finish interrupted downloads without having to start over thanks to the Smart continue feature, which would save these temporary files for up to 24 hours.

The report states that this feature would only function for apps and games smaller than 2GB and that users would require roughly 5GB of free space.

For Play Store downloads, Smart Resume will function similarly to a pause button.

Unlike iOS, the Google Play Store does not currently have a built-in pause feature for app downloads. Users can only halt and resume downloads instead. However, users will essentially have a pause option with the Smart Resume feature, which allows them to stop downloads and pick up where they left off. However, as previously mentioned, this option will only be accessible for a maximum of 24 hours, after which the download will need to be restarted from the beginning.

Users with erratic connections or little data, such as those in remote locations or airports, would particularly benefit from this functionality. But that’s not all; in addition to the resume download option, Google seems to be developing a number of other helpful features for the Play Store.

In order to enable customers to get straight into games, the business was observed testing a new “Resume Playing” section in the Games tab of the Play Store. Google is also attempting to include artificial intelligence (AI) into the Play Store to assist in providing answers to queries regarding unknown apps.