Google Android Update: Check and Update Your Android Version

• Having an up-to-date Android device makes it run faster and provides access to the latest features
• You’ll get Android update notifications on your device when a new update is available
• You can also manually check for updates and install them on your new or used Android phone

Android is one of the two most popular operating systems available in smartphones. Unlike its competitor, it doesn’t offer frequent OS updates, but occasionally, a Google new Android version becomes available to users. Users get a notification on their phones when a new Android version is available. They can click on that notification to install the new version or check manually to see if any updates are available. So, whether you have a Google Pixel 6 or LG Stylo 6, you can install available Android updates easily.

In this guide, we’ll share how you can check your Android version and update it. So, let’s dive right in.

What is the Latest Android System Update?

The most recent version of Android is 12.0. This Android update was released on Google Pixel smartphones on October 19, 2021. Later, it was released for Samsung Galaxy, Oppo, Vivo, Xiaomi, OnePlus, Tecno, and Realme.

Unlike previous Android versions, the 12.0 doesn’t have a dessert name. It was officially released as Android 12. However, it was codenamed Snow Cone by Google for internal developmental builds.

Apple continuously updates its iOS version and recently introduced the iOS 16 with plenty of new features. On the other hand, Android hasn’t been as frequent in releasing new versions until recently. Previously, we used to get updates whenever Google felt like, but lately, we’ve been getting an update once a year along with monthly security updates.

How to Check Your Current Android Version

If you’re unsure about the Android version on your LG or Samsung phone, you can easily find it out from your device. Follow these steps, and you can check your device’s current Android version:

1. Open the Settings app on your phone
2. Scroll to the bottom to the System section and tap it
3. Find the About phone section (it’s usually the first option)
4. You’ll see the Android version option showing the version your device is running on

If any Google Android update is available, you’ll find it here to install. Besides, you can also find your device’s Build number and IMEI number in this section.

How to Start Receiving Android Updates 

Most Android phones receive security and system updates by default when the phone is connected to Wi-Fi. When you receive a notification, you can open it from your notification bar and tap the update action.

However, if you have accidentally cleared the notification section or your device wasn’t online, you can still access the updates manually.

Follow these steps to access system updates on your Android device manually, be it a used Samsung Galaxy A6 or LG Stylo 6.

1. Open the device’s Settings app
2. Scroll to the bottom and select System
3. In System, click on System update

This screen will show your current Android version. Besides, if an update is available to install, you can follow the steps to download and install it on your phone. You can also click Check for updates to refresh the screen.

How to Get Security Updates and Google Play System Updates

As far as receiving security and system updates is concerned, they usually happen automatically. It means as soon as an update is available, your device will automatically install it if it is connected to Wi-Fi.

You can also check system and security updates on your Android devices, like Google Pixel 5 and Motorola G Pure.

Please follow these steps to check if an update is available:

1. Open the Settings app on your phone
2. Click on Security
3. Tap Google Security checkup to check for a security update
4. Tap Google Play System update to check for a system update
5. If updates are available, follow the steps on the screen 

What Android Versions Are No Longer Supported?

Just like all iPhones are not compatible with the new OS, newer Android versions cannot always run on older Android smartphones.

With the release of each new Android version, Google stops its support for older versions. It means Google doesn’t roll out new security patches or OS updates for them. When Android 10 was released, Google stopped support for Android 7 Nougat and earlier versions. Similarly, Google curtailed its support for Android 8 Oreo in 2021.

Currently, Google doesn’t support the following Android versions:

• Android 8.0 Oreo
• Android 7.0 Nougat
• Android 6.0 Marshmallow
• Android 5.0 Lollipop
• Android 4.4 KitKat
• Android 4.1 Jelly Bean
• Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich
• Android 3.0 Honeycomb
• Android 2.3 Gingerbread
• Android 2.2 Froyo
• Android 2.0 Éclair
• Android 1.6 Donut
• Android 1.5 Cupcake
• Android 1.0

How to Fix an Android Update Issue

When you update Android version, sometimes it can run into issues, but you can easily fix most of them. Some of these issues and their solutions are as follows:

Not Enough Space

One of the most common issues while installing a Google Android update is the lack of storage space. If you run out of space on your device while installing the update, you’ll get a not enough space available notification. After that, the update will stop.

The only solution to this problem is to clean up some space on your device. You can free up storage by:

• Using Android’s Free Up Space tool
• Deleting unused files and apps
• Storing photos and videos online
• Using external storage

After you’ve cleared enough space, you can easily install the new Android update.

An Update Didn’t Download

If an update doesn’t download completely, you can do two things:

Let It Automatically Try Again

Sometimes an update doesn’t finish installing due to a number of reasons, like an unstable Wi-Fi connection. If that happens, the update will automatically restart over the next few hours or days. You’ll receive a notification on your device when the update tries again. You can tap the update action by opening this notification.

Update Android Version

You may not get the latest security updates on your device if the android version is outdated. So, make sure your device has the latest Android version installed.

How Do I Uninstall Android 12 Update?

If you have installed Android 12 on your Samsung phone or LG phone, but it’s causing issues, you can uninstall it. To uninstall the Android 12 update on your phone, follow these steps:

1. Download and install Android SDK Platform-tools
2. Enable USB debugging and OEM unlocking
3. Download a compatible Factory Image
4. Boot into device bootloader
5. Unlock bootloader
6. Enter the flash command
7. Relock bootloader (not mandatory)
8. Reboot your phone

If you want to learn how to uninstall Android 12 from your phone, here’s a detailed guide for you.

Final Thoughts

To enjoy the latest features and security, you need your Android device to be updated. Google Android updates are available once a year at least, and you can upgrade to the latest version manually or automatically. However, Android keeps updating the list of versions it no longer supports. So, if you still have a device running on an older Android version, you won’t receive the latest security and system updates.