Google is always improving each and every aspect of the mobile operating system we adore so much. Receiving Android updates always comes with a sense of excitement, well at least for fans like me. I should say that a new update brings out the joy of Android each and every time! Back in 2008 when Android was launched I was using a Nokia smartphone with Symbian OS. It was a good device with fairly nice features (It is still working!) but Android was the new kid in town. With all the talks of open source and no restrictions I was practically salivating at the thought of such an OS. When Android arrived and my dad bought the HTC Dream I immediately started to tinker with it. Then and there began my obsession with Android and its updates. Now I should warn you of heartbreak though. You will only receive the latest and greatest Android updates if you happen to own one of the Nexus devices or the devices which come with stock Android on them. Otherwise you will be at the mercy of your device manufacturer. I simply hate when Samsung takes a lot of time to push updates, I mean it’s just an year old device Samsung, where is my update? But thankfully I always root my device and get rid of TouchWiz. When it comes to the goodies, you can always receive Android Updates easily. Thankfully there are several ways you can receive the update.
Method I – Automatically
1. Turn on Automatic Updates
Most of the smartphones come with the automatic update turned on. If not, turn the option on in settings. So if your device is viable for an update, you will automatically see an update notification in the notification bar. This is perhaps the easiest way to receive updates on Android. You don’t need to do anything if this is the case with your device. The update will be automatically downloaded and you will be informed when it is ready to roll.
Method II – Manually
1. Update Now
If you feel that you haven’t gotten an update and need to check for one, this is the way to go. First you will need to go to the settings. From there you can select the general tab. Scroll down to the very bottom to locate Device info. Tap on that to enter another menu. Right on the top you will see the Update Now option. If you look further down you will see the Auto Update option. If it is checked there is a high chance your device doesn’t have a new update available. But if it is unchecked for some reason, you should tap on the update now to see if there an OTA update for your device or not. The app will then give you a notification about the update. It will say that downloading on mobile data may cost you and you will be able to use the device while the update is being downloaded. Pretty general information but you should read through it once. Now tap on the Ok button to proceed. The device will take some time to check for updates on Android. If there is an update available it will automatically start downloading.
2. Checking After
Once the update has been installed you can head back to the settings>device info and check the Android version. In my case my Samsung Galaxy Note III was running Android 5.0 Lollypop. The version can also be clearly seen in the screenshot below.
Conclusion:
This concludes the very simple guide on how to receive Android Updates easily on Android. I hope you find this guide useful and easy to follow. It is a very basic guide which will help the beginners in knowing their device better. If you run into any problems or need guidance following any step, feel free to ask in the comments below. I will get back to you as soon as i could.
