Last updated on October 19th, 2022 at 07:11 pm
App developers frequently release updates to add new features and fix bugs on the iPhone . Manually installing app updates on your iPhone can be tedious and time-consuming. Apple offers an interesting solution to automatically update applications in the background. However, it does not work as advertised all the time. If iOS isn’t automatically updating apps on your iPhone , here are the best troubleshooting tips to fix the problem.
Apps that don’t update automatically can leave you with buggy and outdated app versions on your iPhone . Before you start facing performance issues in your favorite apps, follow the solutions below to fix apps not updating automatically on your iPhone .
1. Enable Automatic App Updates
If you have disabled automatic downloads for app updates, the iPhone will not start the download process in the background. Follow the steps below to make an adjustment in the settings.
Step 1: Open the Settings app on your iPhone .
Step 2: Scroll down to the app store.
Step 3: Enable the App updates option in the Automatic downloads section.
The automatic app update process may not start instantly. Your iPhone will automatically start updating apps when connected to a fast and reliable Wi-Fi connection.
2. Connect to a Wi-Fi network
Do you often use your iPhone with mobile data? Although iOS allows you to automatically download free and paid apps purchased on other devices via mobile data, it cannot do the same for new app updates. You will need to connect to a strong Wi-Fi network.
Step 1: Swipe down from the top right corner to open Control Center. iPhone users with the Home button need to swipe up from the bottom to access it.
Step 2: Long press the Wi-Fi icon and connect to a fast network.
For seamless automatic updates in the background, connect to a faster 5GHz Wi-Fi frequency band.
3. Check storage on your iPhone
When your iPhone is running out of internal storage, the system may automatically stop updating apps in the background. This is how you can check the storage situation on your iPhone .
Step 1: Open Settings app on iPhone .
Step 2: Scroll down to General.
Step 3: Select iPhone Storage .
Step 4: See a detailed breakdown of storage in the menu below.
You can check which apps are taking up a lot of storage on your iPhone . If you see unnecessary apps in the list, tap them and select Remove app. Confirm your decision to free up space. Repeat the same for all irrelevant apps in the list.
Read our dedicated guide to freeing up space on your iPhone without deleting apps. After recovering enough storage space on your iPhone , iOS will automatically start updating apps.
4. Disable Low Power Mode
Using your iPhone in active low power mode will stop background activities, such as downloading and checking mail, until you fully charge the phone. These activities also include automatic application updates. Follow the steps below to turn off Low Power Mode on your iPhone .
Step 1: Open the Settings app on your iPhone .
Step 2: Scroll down to Battery.
Step 3: Disable the Low Power Mode option.
5. Disable low data mode for your preferred Wi-Fi network
Have you enabled low data mode for your home or office Wi-Fi connection? When low data mode is enabled, the system stops automatic updates and background tasks such as photo synchronization.
Step 1: Open Settings on your iPhone .
Step 2: Select Wi-Fi.
Step 3: Press the blue “i” button inside a circle. Then disable low data mode in the next menu.
6. Reset all settings
An incorrect configuration setting can prevent apps from auto-updating on the iPhone . And it’s natural to forget what setting you made that breaks things. As a last resort, you can reset all settings on your iPhone and set it up from scratch. Don’t worry because it won’t delete your data, but you may lose photos, videos, and other data that isn’t synced to iCloud or another cloud storage service.
Step 1: Open the Settings app on the iPhone and scroll down to the General section (see the steps above).
Step 2: Scroll down to Transfer or Reset iPhone .
Step 3: Select Reset and tap Reset All Settings.
7. Check Apple Servers
If the App Store has server-side issues, the iOS system cannot automatically update apps on iPhones. You can go to Apple’s system status website and make sure there is a green indicator next to the App Store. If it shows a yellow or red indicator, you’ll have to wait for Apple to fix the problem.
8. Update iOS Software
A buggy version of iOS can prevent apps from auto-updating on iPhones. Apple is usually quick to fix these types of issues. If you have a pending iOS update, it’s time to install the release.
Step 1: Open Settings app on iPhone and scroll down to General section.
Step 2: Select Software Update.
Download and install the iOS update from the following menu. If you’re having trouble installing the update, read our troubleshooting guide to fix it.
Keep your installed apps up to date
Automatic app updates are a double-edged sword. Sometimes, you may end up downloading a new version of the app with bugs and ruining an ideal user experience on iPhone . What trick worked for you? Share your findings with us in the comments below.
