Update a Single App
- Open the Google Play Store.
- Tap your profile icon in the top right corner.
- Tap “Manage apps and device.”
- Tap “Updates available” (if updates exist, you’ll see a count).
- Find the app you want to update and tap “Update” next to it.
The app downloads and installs the update in the background. You can keep using your phone while it updates. A notification appears when the update is complete.
Update All Apps at Once
- Open the Google Play Store.
- Tap your profile icon, then “Manage apps and device.”
- Tap “Updates available.”
- Tap “Update all” at the top.
Every app with a pending update starts downloading. Updates install one at a time in the order they were queued. Large updates (like games) can take several minutes. The Play Store shows progress for each app as it updates.
Turn On Automatic Updates
Let Google Play update your apps automatically so you don’t have to check manually.
- Open the Google Play Store.
- Tap your profile icon, then Settings.
- Tap “Network preferences.”
- Tap “Auto-update apps.”
- Choose your preference: “Over any network” (uses WiFi and mobile data), “Over WiFi only” (recommended), or “Don’t auto-update apps.”
“Over WiFi only” is the best choice for most people. Apps update automatically whenever you’re connected to WiFi, without using your cellular data. Updates typically happen overnight or when your phone is idle and charging.
Disable Auto-Updates for Specific Apps
If you want auto-updates for most apps but want to control updates for specific ones (maybe an app’s latest version has bugs, or you prefer an older version):
- Open the Google Play Store and search for the app.
- Open the app’s page.
- Tap the three-dot menu in the top right corner.
- Uncheck “Enable auto update.”
That app stays on its current version until you manually update it. All other apps continue to auto-update normally.
We walk through how to check WiFi router history on Android step by step in a separate post.
Update Apps on Samsung Galaxy
Samsung phones have two app stores: Google Play Store and Samsung Galaxy Store. Apps installed from the Galaxy Store (like Samsung Internet, Samsung Health, Galaxy Wearable) update through the Galaxy Store, not Google Play.
- Open the Galaxy Store app.
- Tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines) or your profile icon.
- Tap “Updates.”
- Tap “Update all” or update individual apps.
To enable auto-updates in the Galaxy Store, go to Galaxy Store Settings (through the menu), tap “Auto update apps,” and choose “Using WiFi only” or “Using WiFi and mobile data.”
Update System Apps
Some Android system apps (Google Chrome, Google Maps, Gmail, YouTube) update through the Play Store like any other app. Others (like Settings, Phone, and Messages) update through Android system updates.
- Go to Settings.
- Tap “System” (or “Software update” on Samsung).
- Tap “System update” (or “Download and install”).
- If an update is available, tap “Download and install.”
System updates include security patches, bug fixes, and sometimes new features. Google also pushes monthly security updates. Keep these up to date for the latest security protections.
Check When Apps Were Last Updated
- Open the Google Play Store.
- Search for any app and open its listing.
- Scroll down to “About this app.”
- The “Updated on” date shows when the developer last published an update.
If an app hasn’t been updated in over a year, the developer may have abandoned it. Abandoned apps can become security risks over time since vulnerabilities go unpatched.
Fix Update Problems
“Download pending” that never starts. The Play Store downloads one app at a time. If multiple updates are queued, they process sequentially. Cancel all downloads (tap the X next to each), then try updating just the one app you need. If it still doesn’t start, clear the Play Store cache: go to Settings, then Apps, then Google Play Store, then Storage, then “Clear cache.”
You might also want to read our how to block a number on Android guide for the full picture.
“Not enough storage.” App updates need free space. Check your storage (Settings, then Storage) and delete unnecessary files, old photos, or unused apps. Some updates are larger than the original app – games in particular can have updates that are several gigabytes.
“App not compatible with your device.” The developer may have dropped support for your phone or Android version. If your phone runs an older Android version, some apps stop receiving updates. There’s no fix for this other than upgrading to a newer phone or sideloading an older APK version (not recommended for security reasons).
App crashes after updating. Clear the app’s cache and data (Settings, then Apps, then the app, then Storage, then “Clear cache”). If that doesn’t help, uninstall and reinstall the app. As a last resort, you can uninstall the update for system apps: go to Settings, then Apps, tap the app, then the three-dot menu, then “Uninstall updates.”
Do app updates use a lot of data?
It depends on the app. Small app updates are 5 to 50 MB. Large game updates can be 500 MB to several gigabytes. Set auto-updates to “WiFi only” to avoid surprise data charges. The Play Store shows the update size before you download, so check before updating on mobile data.
Can I roll back to an older version of an app?
Not through the Play Store. Google Play only offers the latest version. For system apps (Chrome, YouTube, etc.), you can uninstall updates through Settings, then Apps, which reverts them to the factory-installed version. For third-party apps, the only option is to uninstall and sideload an older APK from a trusted source like APKMirror, though this carries security risks.
Why do some apps update so frequently?
Many developers push updates weekly or biweekly. These aren’t always feature updates – they often include bug fixes, security patches, analytics changes, or minor UI tweaks. Frequent updates are generally a good sign that the app is actively maintained. If the constant notifications bother you, enable auto-updates so they happen silently in the background.
Sources
Google – Update Apps | Google – Fix Download Issues
