Google releases monthly, quarterly, and biannual updates for Android phones. With every update, devices get new features, or their performance improves. However, it is not a rare problem for Android phones to get stuck while updating.
This issue can have many causes, including insufficient storage for installing the update or a poor internet connection. A regular update should take at most 30 minutes to complete, but many users end up waiting a few hours without seeing any progress in downloading the update package.
Despite seeming like an insurmountable issue, Android updates getting stuck is easy to fix, and there is nothing you want to panic about. You don’t even need complex technical knowledge.
In the first step, you should ensure that the internet connection is strong enough to support the process and then check if you have enough storage to get the update. If everything seems good on this side and your device still can’t handle the updating process, you should try the below solutions to get the device back to normal.
Force restart your device
Force restarting the device is often the first solution that comes to mind when the Android phone can’t finish the update, and it’s usually the most effective method. A force restart gives a fresh breath to the device and allows you to use it without any hiccups. To restart the device in a standard way, you should hold the Power button for a few seconds and then select the Restart button.
This method is not always applicable, especially when the device is frozen. If the standard restart doesn’t work, you have no choice but to force restart the device. To do so, press and hold the power and volume down keys until the screen goes off. After a few seconds, the screen will turn on, and relaunching the device will proceed like normal.
In addition to being fast and effective, the main benefit of the force restart method is you don’t have to sacrifice your data to get the device back to life. There will be no change in your apps, files, or personal data.
Perform a factory reset
Factory resetting your phone is another solution to solve the Android phone update issues. As the name suggests, this method restores your device software to the first day you bought it, meaning only default apps remain installed, and any app you installed after purchasing the phone will be gone. Additionally, all data and files will be wiped out.
Before performing the Android factory reset, we suggest you back up your important files and data to restore them later. You should also consider a factory reset as the last method and try the force restart method first.
If you can’t access the Setting app to perform the factory reset, here is how to do it using Recovery Mode.
1. Press and hold the Power and Volume Down buttons together. Wait until the screen goes off and on again.
2. Navigate to the Recovery mode using the volume buttons, and press the Power button to select it.
3. Navigate to the wipe data/factory reset option with volume buttons, and press the Power button to select it.
4. Select Yes to confirm the factory reset.
5. In the home screen of Recovery, select Reboot system now. The device now restarts and turns on after the process is complete.
Note: Depending on your phone manufacturer and Android version, this path to factory reset and button combinations might be slightly different.