Last week we talked about why it is important to update apps and how to interpret semantic versioning, here the article. Today we will look at how to update apps on your mobile devices. Let’s get started!
How to update apps from the official stores? Spoiler: your phone can also do this automatically.
How to manually update apps on Android: open the Play store, click on your profile picture at the top right, then on ‘Manage apps and device’ and in the ‘Available updates’ section click on ‘Update all’ or on ‘View details’ to manually choose which apps to update.
How to automatically update apps on Android: open the Play Store, click on your profile picture. Then go to ‘Settings’, ‘Network preferences’ and under ‘Automatic app update’ choose which network to use to update apps (WiFi only or WiFi and mobile data).
On iPhone and iPad the procedure is very similar: click on App Store, then on your profile photo in the top right-hand corner; then scroll through the pop-up that appears and click on ‘Update All’ in the top left-hand corner of the app list, or scroll through the list to update individual apps manually using the CTA.
How to update apps automatically on iPhone and iPad: a open Settings (note: Device Settings, not App Store Settings) then look for the ‘App Store’ entry (you will find it in the fourth block along with Apple Wallet) and enable ‘App Update’ in the ‘Automatic Downloads’ section.
How to update apps that have not been installed from the official stores?
The quick way to install apps on Android without going through the Google Play Store is to use APKs, which are executable files comparable to Windows ‘.exe’ files. To update these apps, you need to install the new APK by confirming on the popup, which is shown after installation, that it is an update.
Important: for the update to be successful, the package name (e.g. me.tryber.tryapp) must be the same!
On Android it is also possible to install applications in a test environment through Firebase, if you want to learn more about this topic you can read our dedicated guide here.
On iOS, the only method without using the App Store is the TestFlight app. It is very similar to the App Store and the update can be concluded manually by opening TestFlight or configuring automatic updates.
A special software: the operating system. How and why to update it.
Like all software, the OS also receives frequent updates both to have the latest features but also to improve the security of the device.
Before starting an operating system update, it may be a good idea to make a full backup of the device so that it can be restored in the event of problems, even though, over the years, updates to the OS have become very reliable and the risks of data loss of the past no longer exist.
To find out how to back up your iPhone or iPad, you can follow Apple’s official guide at this link.
While for Android you can do this using Google One (for a fee) or by searching for the guide or software provided by the smartphone manufacturer. The process often varies depending on the manufacturer.
To update the operating system on iPhone and iPad open Settings and in the ‘General’ section click on ‘Software Update’. iPhone and iPad will automatically check if your system is up to date. If yes, you will see a message such as “iPadOS is up to date”, if not, you will see the update changelog and a CTA to download it.
To update Android, the process may vary from phone to phone but is roughly the same on all smartphones. Open Settings and scroll down until you find ‘Device Information’, then click on this section and check for software updates.
As for the apps, operating system updates can also be performed automatically and this option must always be enabled in the device settings.
Tip: when the update is complete, do not forget to update the operating system of the device also in the platform and to notify the TL (Tryber Leader) of the CP you are participating in about the change you have just made.
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