The apps that you download on your iPhone are rarely in their final form. Most app developers add new features and fix existing problems over time.
Some apps will even stop working if you haven’t updated them in a while, so it’s useful to know where to go to see if you have available updates, as well as what you need to do if there are some available.
You can install an app update on an iPhone 13 by going to the App Store, tapping your profile icon, then tapping Update next to an app that has one available.
Keeping your apps up-to-date on your iPhone can help improve the performance and overall stability during everyday use.
Apps on your iPhone will automatically update as well if you have the setting enabled.
Without automatic updates enabled, you will have to manually install app updates on your own.
Having your apps update automatically will use your data if not connected to wifi.
This option can be customized if you decided you wanted to be in charge of when your apps update.
Our guide below will show you where to see the updates that are currently available on your device, as well as what you will need to do to update an iPhone app that has an update available.
How to Install an App Update on an iPhone
- Click on the “App Store.”
- Select your profile icon at the top right of your screen.
- Scroll down to see your apps that require updating.
- Click “Update” next to each app that you would like to update.
Most of the time, these apps will have updated themselves if you have automatic updates enabled.
Below, you will see a more in-depth look at how to check if any of your apps need manual updating and how to install them.
How to Check for and Install App Updates on an iPhone 13 (Guide with Pictures)
Developers are constantly providing updates to their apps to improve stability and add more features to keep users invested in their apps. If you chose not to update, you could be losing out on some new features and tools that could be useful to you.
Step 1: On the home screen of your iPhone, tap on the “App Store” icon.
If you have a lot of apps and are having trouble finding the icon for the App Store, then pull down on your home screen to bring up the “Search” function and type “App Store”. You can then tap App Store in the list of results.
Step 2: While in the App Store, look at the top right and you should see your profile icon. (It typically has a profile picture that you can use to identify it.) Click on your “Profile Icon” to open a new menu.
Step 3: Scroll down and click “Update” next to each app you would like to manually update.
This page will show you the apps that require updating or if you have automatic updates enabled, will show your recently updated apps.
If you do not see an “Update” button next to any of the apps, there are currently no apps that need to be updated.
Once you click update on the apps that need updating, you will see the app icon go dark and a loading circle will appear on the app. Once the circle closes, the app is fully updated and ready to be used. You will also see an “Open” button that you can press to launch the newly-updated app.
If you don’t want to manually update apps and let your iPhone take care of making sure that everything in your app library, check out the next section.
How to Enable Automatic App Updates on an iPhone
Selecting to allow your apps to update automatically will ensure the best user experience.
It will also allow you to avoid checking if you are running the latest version of all of your apps.
This quick and easy process can save you time as your iPhone will decide when it is best to update your apps.
- On your home page, click on the “Settings” app con.
- Scroll down until you see a setting for the “App Store” and click on it.
- Find the category that says “Automatic downloads” and toggle the switch that says “App Updates”
After selecting this option, your apps will update in the background without the need to go and search the app store for manual updates.
Note that your iPhone doesn’t always immediately install app updates as they become available. If you need the latest version of an app and the iPhone has yet to install it then you can use the manual option through the App Store to install the update yourself.
Additional information on Installing Updates for the Apps Installed on Your iPhone
App updates are free and are brought out by the developer to make the experience better for the user. Most of the time, if you are using a social media app, the updates will be more frequent. If the app is not up to date, the app can sometimes crash and prohibit the user from using it until it is updated.
Allowing for automatic updates can increase the amount of data you use while not on wifi if you are not careful. If you take a look above at the “How to Enable Automatic App Updates on an iPhone” section, while on the page to enable automatic updates, there is a setting underneath that allows for Automatic app updates over cellular data.
You can choose to have any size app download over cellular or you can limit it to ask you if it’s alright to download, if the app is over 200MB. This ensures, if you do not have an unlimited plan, that your iPhone is not using all your cellular data without you even knowing about it.
The process to update iPad apps, whether you want to update apps manually or automatically, is the same.
Since some apps can be very large in size, these updates can quickly consume your monthly cellular data allotment.
Matthew Burleigh has been a freelance writer since the early 2000s. You can find his writing all over the Web, where his content has collectively been read millions of times.
Matthew received his Master’s degree in Computer Science, then spent over a decade as an IT consultant for small businesses before focusing on writing and website creation.
The topics he covers for MasterYourTech.com include iPhones, Microsoft Office, and Google Apps.
You can read his full bio here.