There are a few ways to force an app to update on your device if it is not updating automatically. The easiest way is to go to the App Store or Google Play Store and search for the app. If there is an update available, you will see an “Update” button next to the app. Simply tap the “Update” button and the newest version of the app will download and install.
Check for Updates in the App Store/Google Play Store
As mentioned above, the easiest way to force an app update is to open the App Store (iOS) or Google Play Store (Android) on your device and search for the app. Tap on the app to go to its page in the store. On this page, check beneath the “Open” button for an “Update” button. If you see “Update” instead of “Open,” it means there is an update available for the app.
Tapping “Update” will immediately trigger the latest version of the app to download and install. This is the recommended way to update apps, as it ensures you get important bug fixes, new features, and security patches as soon as they are released.
Update All Apps at Once
You can also update all your apps at once from the App Store/Play Store. In the App Store, go to the Updates tab to see all pending updates. In the Play Store, tap the hamburger menu icon and go to “My apps & games” then select “Update all.” This will queue up updates for all apps on your device that have a new version available.
Turn on Automatic App Updates
To avoid having to manually update your apps, you can enable automatic updates. In the App Store, go to Settings > App Store and turn on “App Updates.” In the Play Store, go to Settings > Auto-update apps and select an auto-update frequency. With auto updates enabled, the App Store/Play Store will automatically download and install new versions of your apps when they are released.
Update Apps from Your Device’s Settings
You can also force an app update directly from your device’s settings menu, without going into the app store. On an iPhone or iPad, follow these steps:
- Open the Settings app
- Tap General
- Tap Software Update
- Tap “Check for Updates” – this will check for pending app updates
- If any updates are available, you will see a list of apps that can be updated. Tap the app you want to update.
- On the next screen tap “Download and Install” to update the selected app.
On an Android device, the steps are:
- Open the Settings app
- Tap Apps & notifications (may be called Apps or Application manager on some devices)
- Tap See all apps
- Scroll through the list of apps to find the app you want to update
- If an update is available, you will see an “Update” button next to the app – tap it to trigger the update
Updating apps from your device’s settings is useful if you don’t see the update option directly in the app store, or if you want to target a specific app for updating.
Update Apps from the App Information Screen
You can also force an update on iOS and some Android devices by going to the app’s information screen and checking for updates.
On an iPhone or iPad, follow these steps:
- Hold your finger down on the app icon until the pop-up menu appears
- Tap the (i) icon in the corner to open the App Info screen
- If an update is available, you will see the version number at the top – tap it
- On the next screen tap “Download and Install” to update the app
On some Android devices like Samsung, you can update apps from the app info screen:
- Hold your finger down on the app icon until the pop-up menu appears
- Tap the (i) icon in the corner to open the App Info screen
- Tap the three dot menu icon in the corner
- Tap “Update” if available to trigger the app update
Restart or Delete and Reinstall the App
If none of the normal update methods are working, you can try either restarting the app or deleting and reinstalling it to force an update.
Restart the App
Restarting the app essentially forces it to refresh itself which may trigger a pending update. Follow these steps:
- Double tap the Home button to bring up your recent apps (iPhone X users swipe up from the bottom)
- Swipe left or right to find the app you want to update
- Swipe up on the app preview to close the app and restart it
- Open the app again and check if the update is now available
Delete and Reinstall the App
If restarting the app doesn’t work, deleting and reinstalling the app will force it to update to the latest version when you download it again. Here are the steps:
- Hold your finger down on the app icon until the pop-up menu appears
- Tap Delete App (Android) or tap the X icon to delete it (iOS)
- Open the App Store/Play Store and search for the app again
- Tap Get/Install to download the app again – it will now install with the latest updates
This essentially resets the app and will ensure you get the newest version when you download it again from the app store.
Update Over Cellular Data or WiFi Only
One other factor that may prevent an app from auto updating is if your device is restricted to only update apps over WiFi. Here’s how to check those settings:
iPhone/iPad
- Go to Settings > App Store
- Check the “App Downloads” setting
- Make sure it is set to “App Downloads via Cellular” or “App Downloads via Wi-Fi & Cellular”
Android
- Open the Play Store app
- Tap the hamburger menu icon
- Tap Settings > Auto-update apps
- Make sure “Auto-update apps over Wi-Fi only” is disabled
If your device is currently set to only update apps over WiFi, you won’t receive update notifications when connected to cellular data. Change the setting to allow updates over cellular data as well to ensure you always get the latest versions.
Update Apps on iPhone Using iTunes
For iPhones and iPads, you can also use iTunes on a computer to force app updates instead of doing them directly on your device. Here’s how:
- Connect your iPhone/iPad to your computer via USB and open iTunes
- Select your device in iTunes
- Go to the Apps section
- Scroll down to the bottom and tick “Install iOS updates” and “Install app updates”
- Click Apply in the lower right corner
This will force any pending app updates to install through iTunes instead of over-the-air through the App Store on your device. Doing updates through iTunes can sometimes resolve issues with stubborn apps failing to update on your device.
Troubleshooting Tips
If you are still unable to get an app to update after trying the steps above, here are some troubleshooting tips:
- Check that your device is connected to the internet and able to access the App Store/Play Store
- Make sure your device software is up to date in Settings > General > Software Update
- Try updating other apps – if they won’t update either, your device may have a wider issue
- Restart your device in case apps are stuck in a pending update state
- Check the app support page for known update issues or contact the developer
- As a last resort, backup your device and perform a factory reset to resolve any underlying software issues
Auto Update Recommendations
To avoid update issues in the future, here are some tips for managing app updates effectively:
- Enable automatic updates in your device settings and app store
- Periodically check the app store updates tab for apps that haven’t auto-updated
- Update all apps at once from your device settings or app store
- Use WiFi for large update downloads to avoid using up cellular data
- Close out of apps completely after use so they aren’t still running in the background
- Restart your device regularly which helps clear out pending updates
Keeping your apps updated is important for getting the latest features and security enhancements. Following these tips will help ensure your apps successfully update as soon as new versions are available.
Conclusion
There are a variety of ways to force an app update if it is not updating automatically on your iPhone, iPad or Android device. The easiest options include checking the App Store/Play Store for updates, enabling automatic updates in your settings, updating directly from your device settings menu, or restarting/reinstalling the app. Ensure your device can download updates over cellular data or WiFi as needed. If you are still having update issues, troubleshooting steps like checking for wider device problems, contacting the developer or performing a factory reset may help. Keeping apps updated regularly is important, so enabling auto updates and periodically checking for new versions can prevent future update problems.
| Update Method | How To |
|---|---|
| App Store/Play Store | Search for app, tap “Update” if available |
| Device Settings | Go to Settings > Applications > Check for updates |
| App Info Screen | Open app info, check for “Update” option |
| Restart App | Force close and relaunch the app |
| Reinstall App | Delete and redownload the app from the store |
| iTunes | Connect device, check for app updates in iTunes |