App Updates not detected on your Android device? Try this

Google is currently rolling out an update for its Chrome web browser for Android -- the stable version -- that introduces the data compression feature to it that I have reviewed back in May 2013.

Anyway, since the update is being rolled out, it can happen that your Android device does not pick it up right away. There are probably different stages involved in pushing out the update, and if it is not your turn yet, you have to wait until it becomes available.

There is one thing that you can do to install the latest version of an Android app on your device. It may not work all the time, especially not if an update is rolled out in a matter of days or even weeks, but if it is a regular update, it should work most of the time.

My Samsung Galaxy Note 2 did not pick up the Chrome browser update for Android right away as well, even though it was already available to other users of the app.

What I did was the following:

1. I opened Google Play and searched there for the Chrome Browser page.
2. If you have installed it, the button should read installed.
3. What many do not know is that you can click on that button to install the app again. Or, in this case, install the update that Google released for it.
4. This does not work all the time though. If you have the latest version for example, then the install button that pops up after you click on installed will remain inactive.

It is somewhat puzzling that the Google Play page does not list the new update yet -- it states that the app was last updated November 18, 2013 -- but that it still did install the new update that was released today in the progress.

Play store page indicates that the app is already installed

After clicking on Installed, the install button is green and enabled, so that the update can be installed

Success message that the new version will be installed

So, if an update is already available but not yet picked up by your Android device, then you can try and install it directly on Google Play.

As noted before, this does not work if updates are rolled out in stages. You will either have to wait until it becomes available, or download a copy that a third-party makes available. It is usually better to wait until the official update or app gets released as it increases the possibility to install malicious apps on your device.

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