Update Android Apps Easily For New Features and Fixes

This article explains how to update all your Android apps in one tap and also how to update just one app at a time. It also covers how to set up automatic app updates to avoid these directions in the future.

How to Update Apps on Android

You can update all Android apps at once or manually install each update on a per-app basis. Either way, head to the Play Store to do it.

1. Open the Play Store, and tap your profile image at the top right.

2. Choose Manage apps & device.

3. Tap See details to view pending downloads.

   If you instead see a link that says See recent updates, then the Play Store thinks everything is up-to-date. You can trigger a manual check by selecting All apps up to date (not pictured here), followed by Check for updates.

4. Tap Update all to update all your Android apps at once, or choose Update next to any app to update just that one.

   After triggering an update, you’ll see a status message for each app, changing from Pending to Installing, before disappearing entirely from the list. Sometimes this happens too quickly to even notice.

How to Set Up Automatic Android App Updates

If you like your apps to always be fresh with the latest updates, you can set up your phone to automatically install app updates as they become available. You can do this globally, for all your apps, or individually for specific apps.

Auto-Update All Apps

The Play Store settings have an option to turn on automatic app updates.

1. From the Play Store, tap your profile image at the top.

2. Choose Settings, near the bottom.

3. Tap Network preference.

4. Select Auto-update apps.

5. Pick one of the update options, such as Update with limited amount of mobile data or Update over Wi-Fi only.

Auto-Update Specific Apps Only

The Play Store includes an automatic update option for every single app, so you can pick which ones you want to always keep updated automatically, while other apps can still be updated manually.

To do this, open the app’s page in the Play Store (just search for the app to find it). To confirm you’re at the right screen, you should see a button called Uninstall and another called Open or Play. From there, tap the three-dot menu in the upper-right corner, and then select Enable auto update.

Updating Unofficial Android Apps

If you download your apps through the Play Store (most people do), then that’s also where you go to update those apps. However, Android also supports installing apps from outside the official app store (via an APK file), so updating those apps is a little different.

The best way to update an app installed via an APK file is to first delete the app and then install the updated APK file. Since you can get APK files anywhere, there isn’t a single download center we can recommend. For example, if a developer is having you test an app, download the updated version from them.

There are, however, alternative Android app stores that are similar to the Play Store—APKPure, F-Droid, and Aptoide are a few examples. Those apps have a built-in updater for downloading and installing new versions of the apps you installed in those stores.

Do I Need to Update My Android Apps?

You’re not usually required to update your apps. You can often stay on a particular version for months and even years.

Here’s why that’s not recommended:

• Many updates provide features that are inaccessible to you unless you grab the latest version.
• App updates often include fixes for security vulnerabilities. Updating makes your device more secure.
• The user interface can change, which can make using the app easier.
• Bugs and other problems that affect battery and memory usage can be resolved with an app update.