Guide: How to look for App Updates on iOS and Android
Hundreds of new apps arrive in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store every month. That’s why we hand-pick a few apps of the month. To compete with the newer apps and to provide better functionality, app developers push updates regularly. But how do you know it’s time to update your favorite apps? In this post, we will tell you how to check if an app needs to be updated on your iPhone or Android. Many times you may see an app behaving erratically or crashing. Now you don’t have to uninstall and then reinstall the app to get this new one features, or fix a bug. That’s where app updates come into the picture. You must press a button to update the existing (installed) apps from the respective app stores on Android and iOS. Let’s see how to check available app updates. We’ve also added some frequently asked questions about updates at the end of the post.
What happens when you update apps
App updates add new features and fix any issues in the existing version. When the update is downloaded, the system extracts the updated files and replaces them with the ones on the phone’s memory. In the background, the system updates the files of the installed up and makes you feel like reinstalling it.
That said, all of your existing app data will remain untouched. For example, if you update WhatsApp, all your chats will remain on your phone, and nothing is deleted. So your data like images, videos, etc. and preferences of the currently installed apps will be saved and carried over to the next version. Now that you know what happens after updating the apps, let’s take a look how to check if an update is available.
How to Know if an app update is available on Android
To do this, open Google Play Store on your phoneThen tap the three-bar icon at the top left. From there, select My apps and games.
You will see the available app updates listed under the Updates section. Note: If you don’t see any available updates, all apps will be updated to their latest version. If you haven’t updated the apps, automatic updates may be turned on on your phoneCheck out Method 3 below to know more about it. As an alternative to phones with Android 7.1 Nougat and above, you can touch and hold the Google Play Store icon. Then tap My apps to immediately see the available updates.
In the latest versions of Android, the app will prompt you for an available update when you open it. Google has introduced that new functionality with the help of updates in the app featureAll you need to do is press Update button when shown. The app will then automatically update in the background. You don’t have to do anything – not even open the Play Store. Once updated, you can continue to use it normally.
How to Update apps on Android
There are four ways to update apps on Android phones
Method 1: Update apps from Play Store
The method is the same we used to check for an available update i.e. open Play Store and go to My apps & games via the three bar icon (hamburger).
Tap Update next to the app you want to update. Tip Tap the small down arrow next to the app to see what’s new in the update.
Method 2: Update all apps
With the above method, you can update the apps individually. To update all apps without pressing Update button repeatedly tap Update all. Then sit back and relax. All apps are updated in the background.
Method 3: Update apps automatically
If you don’t want to go through the hassle of manually updating apps, you can turn on automatic updates. Doing this will automatically update the apps when a new update arrives. So they don’t show up up available under Updates in My apps and games. Follow these steps to enable automatic updates for apps on Android: Step 1: Open the Play Store and tap the three-bar (hamburger) icon. Select Settings from the menu.
Step 2: Tap Automatically update apps. Then choose your preference. You can only select update via Wi-Fi or use any network.
Method 4: Update apps without Play Store
You can update apps without Play Store on Android by using their APK. You need to download the APK file from a trustworthy source such as APKMirror.com or the developer’s official website. Once downloaded, open it. You will be asked to grant permission to install apps outside of the Play Store. Authorize. The app will be updated automatically. Since the apps don’t go through the Play Store’s Play Protect security check, you shouldn’t use this method regularly. Update apps with this method if you’re curious about the new app and your phone does not receive the update. You can use this method to go back and install the previous version of the app if there is a problem with the current version. Tip Check out our handy guide On how to install multiple apps on android at the same time.
How to Check recently updated apps on Android
To do this, open Play Store and go to My apps and games. Scroll down on the Updates tab. You will see Recently updated.
How to Restore the previous version of apps
While there is no direct way to get an update on your phone, you can restore it to the previous version on Android. For that, you need to delete the app from your phone first. Then follow method 4 to install the app as mentioned above – using an APK file. Find the previous version of the app and install it.
How to Know if app update is available on iPhone or iPad
For that you need the help of the App Store. If automatic updates are turned off, you will see the notification badge on the Apple Store icon with the number indicating the number of available updates.
Open App Store to check for available updates. On devices with iOS 12 and below, tap the Updates tab at the bottom. You will see the available updates.
On devices with iOS 13 and above, tap the Today tab. Then tap your profile picture icon at the top. To scroll down. You will find the available updates.
How to Update apps on iOS
You can update apps on iPhone and iPad in the following three ways:
Method 1: Update apps from the App Store
To do that, follow the steps mentioned in the section above to check for an available update. Then tap Update button next to the app.
Method 2: Update all apps
To update all apps at once, tap Update all button the available updates shown above.
Method 3: Update automatically
To do this, open Settings on your phone and go to iTunes & App Stores. Turn on the toggle next to Updates under Automatic Downloads.
Tip Check other methods to update apps on iPhone and iPad.
How to Check recently updated apps on iOS
To do this, open the App Store screen where you can see the available updates. Then scroll down and you will find the Recently updated section.
Nice things to know about app updates
Here are some interesting questions about app updates:
Why do apps need to be constantly updated?
We often have to check for app updates for two reasons. First of all, to fix various errors and bugs in the app. Sometimes there is a big problem with the app and it stops working or not working properly. The only way to fix the problem is to update the app. Likewise, there are minor bugs that are constantly being fixed in the background when you update your apps. Second, as mentioned above, app updates bring new ones featuresWho doesn’t like new things now? Without updating the app, the new features will not work on your phoneSo updating the apps is required.
Apps occupy more space with every update
Not really. The new update is not installed as a separate app. It is installed on your existing app. Unless the developer has resized the app by a large feature, then no extra space is taken up. To further clarify matters, updating the app is not added to the previous app size. However, over time, apps definitely start to take up more space due to cache files. You can free up storage by clearing the cache. But it has nothing to do with app updates. Sometimes app updates even reduce the app size. You will see the app size listed under the app name in the Updates section.
Which is better – Uninstall previous version and install a new one or update app
Absolutely, update the app. That’s because you will lose your data and preferences when you delete the app. Why bother when you can just update the app?
Update your apps often
You don’t lose anything by not updating apps. However, you won’t gain anything either. You can skip updating the apps that you haven’t used for some time to save data costs. But it’s a good thing to update your apps upup to date as apps are constantly being improved even if you don’t see any significant changes to the design or functionality out front. The next up Do you own both Android and iOS devices? Here’s a handy one guide On how to transfer files between them via the link below.
How to look for App Updates on iOS and Android: benefits
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