Automatic updates are the default setting and the vast majority of users will have them enabled on their smartphones. We want to ensure that users are using the latest version of the application and have access to the latest features - usually because each new version has improved security, stability, and/or new features and a better user experience.

Some users may not have auto updates enabled, which could mean that they are not using the latest version of the app. This article is split in three parts:

  • Part 1 - How to help users manually update their app

  • Part 2 - How to help users enable automatic updates for all apps on their device

  • Part 3 - How to help a user who has turned off automatic updates to get notified of available app update

📗 Part 1 - How to help users manually update their app

For Android users:

  1. Open the Google Play Store app.

  2. At the top right, tap the profile icon.

  3. Tap Manage apps & device. Apps with an update available are labeled "Update available."

  4. Click on “Updates available” to see detailed list of apps with available updates.

  5. Tap Update next to to the app that you want to update.

Full guide for reference: https://support.google.com/googleplay/answer/113412?hl=en

For iOS users:

  1. Open the App Store.

  2. Tap your profile icon in the top right of the screen.

  3. Scroll to see pending updates and release notes. Tap Update next to an app to update only that app, or tap Update All.

Full guide for reference: https://support.apple.com/en-ca/HT202180

📗 Part 2 - How to help users enable automatic updates for all apps on their device

For Android users:

  1. Open the Google Play Store app.

  2. At the top right, tap the profile icon.

  3. Tap Settings > Network Preferences > Auto-update apps.

  4. Select an option:

    • Over any network to update apps using either Wi-Fi or mobile data.

    • Over Wi-Fi only to update apps only when connected to Wi-Fi (recommended).

For iOS users:

  1. Go to Settings.

  2. Tap App Store.

  3. Turn on or turn off App Updates.

📗 Part 3 - How to help a user who has turned off automatic updates to get notified of available app update

Some users prefer to keep automatic updates turned off but you still want them to get notified when an update is available for the app. Here is how to enable notifications of app updates.

For Android users:

  1. Open the Google Play Store app.

  2. At the top right, tap the profile icon.

  3. Tap Settings > Notifications > Updates available.

  4. Click the toggle on the right to open the ‘Notification category’ settings.

  5. At the top panel, toggle the Show notifications to the right.

  6. Scroll down to App icon badges and also toggle it to the right.

For iOS users:

If a user prefers to manually update all their apps, they can turn off automatic updates. When they do this, they receive notifications from the App Store each time an update for one of their apps is released. This is a default setting.

To check if App Store notifications are on:

  1. Open Settings > Notifications.

  2. Scroll to search for App Store and click on it.

  3. Toggle on Allow notifications by sliding the toggle to the right until it turns green.

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