How to Check If Apps Need an Update on iPhone and Android
Often, an application behaves or crashes irregularly. Now you no longer need to uninstall the app and then reinstall it to receive these new features or fix a bug. This is where app updates come in. You need to press a button to update existing (installed) apps from the respective app stores on Android and iOS.
Let's see how to check for available app updates. We have also included some FAQs regarding updates at the end of the article.
What happens when you update apps
App updates add new functionality and fix issues (if any) in the existing version. Once the update is downloaded, the system decompresses and replaces the updated files with those installed on the phone memory. In the background, the system updates the installation files and gives the impression that you are reinstalling it.
That said, all of your existing application data is not affected. For example, if you update WhatsApp, all of your conversations will stay on your phone and nothing will be deleted.
So your data such as images, videos, etc. and preferences for currently installed applications are saved and transferred to the next version.
Now that you know what happens after updating the apps, let's see how to check if an update is available.
How to tell if an app update is available on Android
To do this, open Google Play Store on your phone. Then tap the three bar icon at the top left. Select My apps and games from there.
You will see the available app updates listed in the Updates section.
Note: If you don't see an update available, all apps are updated to their latest version. If you haven't updated the apps, automatic updates can be enabled on your phone. See Method 3 below for more information.
Alternatively, on phones with Android 7.1 Nougat and later, you can long press the Google Play Store icon. Then tap My apps to view available updates directly.
On the latest versions of Android, the app prompts you for an update available every time you open it. Google introduced this new feature using an update feature built into the app. All you need to do is press the Update button when it appears. The app will then automatically update in the background. You have nothing to do – not even open the Play Store. Once updated, you can continue to use it as normal.
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 as the one we used to check for an available update, i.e. open the Play Store and access My Apps and Games from the three bar icon ( hamburger).
Tap Update next to the app you want to update.
Point: Tap the little down arrow next to the app to find out what's new in the update.
Method 2: Update All Applications
The above method allows you to update the applications individually. To update all apps without pressing the Update button multiple times, tap Update all. Then sit back and relax. All applications will be updated in the background.
Method 3: update apps automatically
If you don't want to go through manual app updates, you can turn on automatic updates. In doing so, apps will update automatically when a new update arrives. They will therefore not appear under Updates available in My apps and games.
To turn on automatic app updates on Android, follow these steps:
Step 1: Open the Play Store and tap the three bar icon (hamburger). Select Settings from the menu.
2nd step: Tap the automatic update apps. Then choose your preference. You can either select the update over Wi-Fi only, or use any network.
Method 4: updating apps without Play Store
You can update apps without the Play Store on Android using their APK. You should download the APK file from a reliable 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. Give permission. The app will update automatically.
Since apps don't go through the Play Store Play Store security check, you shouldn't use this method regularly. Update apps with this method if you are curious to check the new app and your phone is not receiving 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.
How to check recently updated apps on Android
To do this, open Play Store and go to My apps and games. Scroll down in the Updates tab. You will see Recently updated.
How to restore previous version of apps
Although there is no direct way to cancel an update on your phone, you can restore it to the previous version on Android.
To do this, you must first uninstall the app from your phone. Then follow method 4 of installing the application as mentioned above – using an APK file. Find the previous version of the app and install it.
How to know if the app update is available on iPhone or iPad
For this you will need to take 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.
To check for available updates, open the App Store. On devices running iOS 12 and earlier, tap the Updates tab at the bottom. You will see the updates available.
On devices running iOS 13 and above, tap the Today tab. Then tap on your profile photo icon at the top. Scroll down. You will find the available updates.
Comment mettre à jour des applications sur iOS
Vous pouvez mettre à jour les applications sur iPhone et iPad des trois manières suivantes:
Méthode 1: mettre à jour les applications depuis l'App Store
Pour cela, suivez les étapes mentionnées dans la section ci-dessus de vérification d'une mise à jour disponible. Ensuite, appuyez sur le bouton Mettre à jour à côté de l'application.
Méthode 2: mettre à jour toutes les applications
Pour mettre à jour toutes les applications en une seule fois, appuyez sur le bouton Tout mettre à jour ci-dessus les mises à jour disponibles.
Méthode 3: mise à jour automatique
Pour cela, ouvrez Paramètres sur votre téléphone et accédez à iTunes & App Stores. Activez le bouton à côté de Mises à jour sous Téléchargements automatiques.
How to Check Recently Updated Apps on iOS
For that, open the App Store screen where you can see the available updates. Then scroll down, and you will find the Updated Recently section.
Cool Things to Know About App Updates
Here are some interesting queries regarding app updates:
Why Do Apps Constantly Need to Be Updated
We need to check for app updates often for two reasons. First, to fix various errors and bugs in the app. Sometimes, there is a major issue with the app, and it stops working or doesn’t function properly. The only way to fix it is by updating the app. Similarly, there are small bugs that are constantly fixed in the background when you update your apps.
Secondly, app updates, as mentioned above, bring new features. Now, who doesn’t love new things? Without updating the app, the new features will not work on your phone. So updating the apps is required.
Do Apps Occupy More Space With Every Update
Not really. The new update isn’t installed as a separate app. It’s installed on your existing app. Unless the developer has changed the size of the app by adding a big feature, then no extra space will be occupied. To further make things clear, updating the app doesn’t add to the previous size of the app.
However, with time, apps definitely start taking up more space due to cached files. You can free up storage by clearing cache. But it has nothing to do with app updates. Sometimes, app updates even reduce app size. You will see the app size listed under the app name in the Updates section.
Which Is Better — Uninstalling Previous Version and Installing a New One or Updating App
Definitely, updating the app. That’s because you will lose your data and preferences when you uninstall the app. Why go through all that trouble when you can simply update the app?
Update Your Apps Often
You will not lose anything by not updating apps. However, you will not gain anything too. You can skip updating the apps that you don’t use for some time to save data charges. But it’s a good thing to keep your apps updated as apps are continuously improved even if you don’t see any major design or functional change on the front end.
Then: Do you own both Android and iOS devices? Here's a nifty guide on how to transfer files between them from the link given below.