Google Play Store Apps Not Updating Automatically, How to Fix?

Google Play Store, also formerly known as Google Play or Android Market for a digital distribution service by Google itself. Users can easily enjoy millions of the latest Android apps, games, music, movies, TV, books, magazines, etc at any time & anywhere across all Android devices. Android handset users can easily install and update applications to get the latest features, bugs improvements, reducing potential malware or threats. It also allows an auto-update feature but what if your Google Play Store Apps Not Updating Automatically?

Yes! Most of us already know that Google Play Store offers the auto-update feature for the installed applications and games on the device in two ways. Either you can select auto-update apps or games over any network like mobile data, hotspots, etc or you can also select over Wi-Fi network only for updating installed applications automatically. These days most users prefer Wi-Fi networks to get faster app updates without worrying about data bandwidth consumption.

Keeping all of your apps and games up-to-date means your device data (personal data) remains safe and secure in most cases unless you’ve exposed all your personal details online through other ways. Though Google keeps providing software updates and security patch updates every month to all officially running Android OS versions, other OEMs fail to push software updates regularly. But updating applications can always come in handy, especially to run them smoothly. An update also brings stability and features to apps.

Google Play Store Apps Not Updating Automatically, How to Fix?

Now, a major concern is that somehow the internet connection issue or the outdated system software or the temporary app cache data can prevent the auto-update feature of the installed applications. Some reports claim that Play Store auto-update doesn’t work properly and some of the apps aren’t updating to the latest version until manually done. Whereas some other reports say that all of the installed apps have the same kind of issue which is frustrating.

So, if you’re also facing the same issue where some applications fail to update automatically even though the auto-update option is turned on then you’re on the right page. Here we’ve shared with you possible workarounds to easily resolve this issue. Now, without further ado, let’s jump into it.

1. Restart Your Mobile Device

It’s highly recommended to reboot your mobile device completely to ensure there is no issue with the temporary system glitch or cache data. Sometimes a minor bug or glitch can prevent the system to run its background processes. To do that:

• Just press and hold the Power (side key) button for a few seconds.
• Once the Power menu appears on the screen, tap on Restart.
• After doing this, the auto-update apps feature should work fine.

2. Check the Internet Connection

You can also try checking the internet connection at your end to ensure there is no issue with the network connectivity or data speed. Sometimes a slower internet connection or unstable network speed can trouble you a lot. It’s highly recommended to check if the networking device has some glitch or not. You can try performing the power cycle method on the Wi-Fi Router to cross-check if the problem has been fixed or not.

3. Check for Software Updates

Make sure to update the software version on your handset to reduce several issues and compatibility issues with third-party apps. Outdated device software can conflict with some issues with the app updating on Play Store.

• Go to the Settings menu on the device > Go to the Software Update option.
• Tap on Check for Updates > If there is an update available then make sure to install the update.

4. Set the Correct Date and Time

It’s also important to set the correct date and time on your handset manually if the date or time isn’t accurate. The chances are high that even the Google Play Store might not work properly. An incorrect date and time settings on the Android device can cause issues with syncing Google’s servers. You should also set the automatic time after choosing the timezone. To do this:

• Go to the Settings menu on the device.
• Tap on Additional Settings > Tap on Date & Time.
• If the time is incorrect, manually set it correct.
• Once done, you’ll need to turn on the toggle for Network-provided time.
• Make sure to set the correct Timezone depending on the country/region.

5. Clear Cache and Data of Google Play Store

You should also clear the cache and the data of the Google Play Store to ensure there is no issue with the temporary cache issue on the respective device. You can check the following steps to do so.

• Go to the device Settings menu > Head over to Apps & Notifications.
• Now, tap on See All Apps > Tap on Google Play Store to open the app info page.
• Tap on Storage & Cache.
• Next, tap on Clear Cache > Once done, tap on Storage & Cache.
• Then tap on Clear Storage.

6. Manually Update an Application

Sometimes bulk app updates in the automatic mode might not work properly and you’ll need to manually update the application to cross-check if the problem has been fixed or not.

• Open the Google Play Store app > Tap on the hamburger menu icon.
• Next, tap on My Apps & Games > Make sure to check whether the specific app update is showing.
• If so, just tap on the Update button next to the app and wait for it to install.

7. Update the Google Play Store Version

You should check for the Google Play Store version by following the steps below to ensure if it’s running on the latest version or not.

• Open the Google Play Store app.
• At the top right side, tap on the profile icon.
• Tap Settings > Tap on About.
• Select Play Store version > You’ll get a message if the Play Store is up to date or not.
  • Tap on Got it > If an update is available, it will automatically download and install in a few minutes.

8. Try Changing Network Preference for Auto-Update Apps

If the network preference option is already selected to Wi-Fi then make sure to turn it off or use any network by following the steps below to avoid limited internet bandwidth.

• Open the Google Play Store app > Tap on the account (profile) icon in the top right corner.
• Go to Settings > Navigate to Network Preferences.
• Tap on Auto-update apps > Select Over any network to allow the Play Store to update automatically.

9. Sign Out of the Google Account and Sign Back Again

It’s also worth recommending signing out of the Google account that you’re using for Google Play Store and logging back into the account to check the issue again. Sometimes temporary glitches can trouble you a lot that should be cleared.

• Open the Google Play Store app > Tap on the account (profile) icon in the top right corner.
• Locate Sign Out and perform this action.
• Next, wait for a couple of minutes, and then sign back again.

10. Turn Off Battery Optimization

If you’re using the battery optimization feature on your Android device, you should turn it off to reduce battery power consumption. It’ll also limit the background activity to improve performance.

• Open the Settings menu on the device.
• Navigate to Battery Settings > If the option is turned on, make sure to tap on Power Saving Mode.
• Then turn it off.

Additionally, you should also turn on the background activity for the Play Store by following the steps below.

• Under the Battery Settings menu, tap on App battery management.
• Go to the Google Play Store option.
• Make sure to turn on the Allow background activity option.

11. Disable Battery Saver

Make sure to disable the battery saver on your device to allow the background tasks to run properly. Battery saver or Power saving can restrict ongoing processes and auto-update of Google Play Store apps might get limited. To turn it off:

• Open the Settings menu on the handset > Tap on Battery.
• Just Turn Off the Battery Saver mode. [if already enabled]

12. Check for Enough Storage Space

Another thing you should do is check out enough storage space for the device to ensure there is no issue with the low storage space. Low storage space can eventually cause several issues with the application installation, updates, and even running. It’s better to remove unnecessary junk files or unused applications to free up some internal storage space. Either go to the Files application (File Manager) or head over to the Gallery app to delete unnecessary & duplicate files.

13. Force Stop the Play Store App

The chances are also high that the Play Store Apps auto-updating issue on your mobile device is happening because Play Store is somehow running in the background. In that case, you can manually perform a force stop of the app and relaunch the application to check whether that fixes the issue. To do this:

• Go to the Settings menu on your Android device > Go to Apps & Notifications.
• Tap on See All Apps > Next, tap on Google Play Store to open the app info page.
• Tap on Force Stop > If prompted, just confirm the task.

14. Uninstall Google Play Store Updates

If in case, you’ve recently updated the Google Play Store application to its latest version intentionally or unintentionally then make sure to follow the steps below to uninstall Google Play Store Updates to check if the problem is still bothering you or not. As we all know that sometimes a recent update to the application can also bring several bugs or stability issues.

• Ensure that you’re connected to a reliable Wi-Fi connection.
• Now, long-press the Google Play Store app icon on your device (home screen or app drawer).
• Then tap on App info > At the top, tap on More.
• Next, tap on Uninstall updates.
• If you’re prompted to change the Play Store app back to the previous version, tap on OK.

15. Reset App Preferences

As the name suggests, resetting app preferences will let your device remove the installed application settings, reset disabled apps, reset disabled app notifications, set the default actions for applications, limit background data for apps, and reset app permissions. By doing so, you’ll be able to check the specific app whether it’s working fine again or not. Don’t worry, you won’t lose any user data. To do this, you can check the following steps:

• Open the device Settings menu > Tap on Apps and Notifications.
• Tap on See All Apps > Once you’re on the App Info page, tap on the three-dot icon.
• Tap on Reset app preferences > Make sure to confirm this process.
• Once done, reboot the device, and check for the issue again.

That’s it, guys. We assume this guide was helpful to you. For further queries, you can comment below.