Samsung S21 and S22 Ultra Apps Not Updating – How to Fix

Some users of the Samsung Galaxy S21 and Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra are having strange issues these days when they try to update apps via Google Play Store.

Some users have even turned on auto-updates, but most of the time, it has not worked (according to them). When trying to update manually, they have got this error message.

“Try again, and if it  still doesn’t work, see common ways to fix this problem”

This may be the problem you are also having now, and you may have already done a couple of random fixes to solve this problem too. But you ended up here because none of them have worked, right?

Don’t worry. Since this issue is more prominent on Galaxy S21, and S22 Ultra, there are some unique solutions to fix app updating issues on these two devices.

So in this guide, we will show you those fixes, and by following them, you will be able to resolve if apps are not updating on your S21/S22 Ultra, keep reading.

Note: Solutions mentioned in this guide will work on every Samsung Galaxy S21 and Samsung Galaxy S22 model.

Editor’s note: We created these instructions using a Samsung Galaxy S22 running Android 12. Depending on your device’s software version, some steps and menu positions may look slightly different.

Why are apps not updating on your Samsung S21/S22 Ultra?

You may wonder why you cannot update apps on such flagship devices as Galaxy S21 and S22 Ultra.

If you have updated the device software recently, it may be the cause why you cannot update apps on Google Play Store. The reason why we say this is a lot of users have reported that they started to experience this issue after their devices underwent a software update. 

Another reason for this issue is the malfunctioning Android system. Especially, bugs within some inbuilt system services have shown many times as reasons when there is an app update issue occurs on an Android device. So if the android OS on your Galaxy S21/S22 Ultra has malfunctioned, you have to fix that too.

That said, let’s move on to the solutions and see how you can fix the app updating issue on your Galaxy smartphone.

How to fix apps not updating on Samsung S21 & S22 Ultra

Here, we have listed five (5) solutions that you can try to make the Google Play Store update apps on your device without producing errors.

When you have done applying a solution, try to update apps and see if the solution worked. Only go to the next solution if the previous one does not work. This way, you can save time and also fix your device easily.

Let’s start with troubleshooting services that are related to the Google play store and app updates.

Fix 01 – Clear cache data of Google Play Services and Google Play Store

Google Play Store and Play services are the main two components (services) that have a great impact on app updates. That is why we suggest you first clear the cache data of these services/apps to see if you can resolve the problem in the first place.

The reason why we clear the cache is sometimes they can get corrupted or outdated due to software updates. The best way to fix if there is such an issue exists on your device is to clear the cache of these two services/apps.

To clear the cache of Google Play Services, you can follow these steps;

1. Open Settings
2. Tap on Apps
3. Scroll down and tap on Google Play Services
4. Then, tap on Force stop to temporarily close the service from running
5. After, tap on Storage 
6. Then, tap on Clear cache button

Now without opening the Google Play Store, follow these steps too.

1. Open Settings again
2. Go to Apps
3. Scroll down and tap on Google Play Store
4. Tap on Force stop as you did for the Google Play services
5. Then, tap on Storage, and then Manage storage

1. Tap on Clear cache button

Once you have cleared the app cache for both Play Store and Play Service

Fix 02 – Check the connection

If clearing the app cache does not work, and you cannot still update apps, then you should take a look at your internet connection.

It is because even though we have not mentioned this in the reasons section (we only included the most common ones), network issues can sometimes become the reason why you cannot update apps on your Galaxy S21/S22 Ultra.

Therefore, if you are on mobile data, make sure you have enabled auto-updates and manual updates via mobile data because you cannot do that in settings.

If you are in a WiFi network, then simply restart your wifi router and connect to it. Then you can try to update apps and see if the problem is solved.

Fix 03 – Turn off device protection

Is there any malware security app installed on your Galaxy S21/S22 Ultra? Even if you haven’t installed any protection app, the system protection can be a big reason why your device doesn’t update apps.

Turning off the device protection is easy. But make sure to enable it once you have successfully installed updates to your apps.

Here is what you need to do;

1. Open Settings on your device
2. Tap on Device care
3. Then, tap on the protection section
4. Turn off device protection
5. Restart your device

Note: If you can’t find a turn-off button under the device protection, do this;

1. Open Settings and go to Apps
2. Tap on the filter button and toggle on Show system apps
3. Scroll down and tap on the Device security app
4. Tap on Storage
5. Tap on Clear data

To apply the changes completely, you should restart your device. So make to reboot your Galaxy S21/S22 Ultra and check if you can then install app updates.

Fix 04 – Software Update

As we said earlier, if you have installed an Android update on your device, it can be the reason why the apps won’t update. However, on the other hand, if you have not yet installed system updates after a long time, this also can be an issue.

So the best thing is to update your Galaxy S21/S22 Ultra, and here is how you can do that;

1. Open Settings
2. Tap on Software update
3. Then, tap on “Download and install”

Note: You will get a notification when there is an update available. You can then tap on the notification and install the update.

Fix 05 – Factory data reset

Factory data reset is the most reliable solution you are left with if none of the above solutions worked for you.

But before going to reset your device, take a look at our guide to take a backup before resetting the device. You won’t lose any personal data this way.

Once you are ready, follow the steps below;

1. Open Settings
2. Go to General management
3. Tap on Reset
4. Then, tap on Factory data reset and follow the instructions

It will take a while to completely reset your device. You can set up the device and sign into the previously added mail on the device. Then, open Google Play Store and see if you can update apps without errors.

Wrapping Up

App update issues are not new to Samsung or the Android operating systems. However, we cannot apply general solutions for each and every scenario. That is why we created this guide especially for Samsung Galaxy S21 and S22 Ultra users, with the actual working solutions.

So which method worked for you? If you still have any questions regarding this guide, leave a comment below.

Have a nice day!