Apps Autoupdate Stopped Updating

[DLCPhototography]

Stock, non-rooted GN3. Verizon. Stock launcher. 4.4.2.

I've noticed in the last week or so, possibly more, that even though I have "Auto-update Apps on WiFi only" enabled, as I have since getting the phone last fall, it no longer Auto-updates at all.

I can open the Play Store, go to 'My Apps' and there is a list of Apps there waiting to be updated.

The only change I've made, which was made at least a month ago, and which I'm fairly sure predates this behavior, was to stop Google Search from autoupdating by unchecking the appropriate box. (It created some problems with my Bluetooth devices, taking over response away from S-Voice which I preferred, and some other issues).

My WiFi connection is solid.
I've turned off (through the usual methods) a small number of apps (Audible, Caller Name ID, Group Play, Isis Mobile Wallet, NFL Mobile, S Health, Slacker, Voice Mail).

Any idea what is causing this behavior, and how I can fix it?

As a secondary item, possibly related, it seems I can no longer access the option to enable or disable auto-update for an individual app - has this been moved or changed? I go to the App in the play store, and nothing happens when I hit the menu button at the bottom left, which is where I thought I remembered accessing that option before. Can others duplicate this change, or where they do find the option to enable or disable auto-updates for a specific app?

 

[B. Diddy]

How long have you waited to see if the apps Auto-Update? It might not happen right away. Wait maybe a day or so to see if the Auto-Update occurs.

I am still able to select individual apps to Auto-Update. On the individual app page in Google Play Store, tap the 3-vertical dot menu button, then tap on the Auto-Update option. If you had the Auto-Update option turned off in the main settings, then it will first prompt you to turn it on universally. Then you can select individual apps to turn them off.

 

[DLCPhototography]

How long have you waited to see if the apps Auto-Update? It might not happen right away. Wait maybe a day or so to see if the Auto-Update occurs.

I am still able to select individual apps to Auto-Update. On the individual app page in Google Play Store, tap the 3-vertical dot menu button, then tap on the Auto-Update option. If you had the Auto-Update option turned off in the main settings, then it will first prompt you to turn it on universally. Then you can select individual apps to turn them off.

Thanks for the reply.

I've been watching this behavior over the last week or so, hoping it was just a temporary issue. Typically when I turn my phone on in the morning, any updates take place at that time. This hasn't been occurring for at least a week, possibly more.

I don't know what your launcher/interface is, but on my Stock GN3, I don't have the 3-dot menu button, but have the menu button down at the far bottom-left below the regular display, to the left of the Home physical button. When I touch that menu button, nothing happens. Previously, it would bring up the auto-update feature, allowing me to check or uncheck this function. That is no longer the case.

It makes me wonder if there's something corrupt in the Google Play Store app itself. I assume I can uninstall/reinstall the Play Store App itself without effecting all of my installed apps?

 

[B. Diddy]

I have a Nexus 5, which doesn't have any physical buttons, so on your phone, it would be the physical Menu button. See what happens if you go to Settings>Apps>All, select Google Play Store, and Clear Cache/Clear Data, then Force Stop. If that doesn't help, you could also Uninstall Updates from there and see if that helps. But the Play Store will auto-update itself again--still, that might be an interesting test.

 

[DLCPhototography]

I have a Nexus 5, which doesn't have any physical buttons, so on your phone, it would be the physical Menu button. See what happens if you go to Settings>Apps>All, select Google Play Store, and Clear Cache/Clear Data, then Force Stop. If that doesn't help, you could also Uninstall Updates from there and see if that helps. But the Play Store will auto-update itself again--still, that might be an interesting test.

I did a Clear Cache/Clear Data, and then reopened Play Store. I think that at least partially fixed it. I could once again access the enable/disable auto-update for each app by hitting the soft menu button. It started immediately updating apps, before I disabled auto-update for Google Search. But hopefully it'll resume the normal auto-update from here on. Will see what happens over the next day or two.

Thanks for the suggestion!

 

[Javier P]

Not sure if this is related to your issue but play store doesn't auto update apps when added new permissions by the developers.

 

[DLCPhototography]

Not sure if this is related to your issue but play store doesn't auto update apps when added new permissions by the developers.

Yes, that's important to point out, but in my case, that's not the underlying issue. None of these apps require new permissions.

A good thought, though. In my case, something got screwed up in the Play Store App itself, and hopefully the cache and data clearing have resolved that.

 

[Javier P]

Good luck. Report back.

 

[DLCPhototography]

Update (hah!):

This morning, a couple of Apps auto-updated, so something is definitely fixed. A few others didn't. But I think these were the ones that I interrupted yesterday, in order to prevent Google Search from auto-updating before disabling auto-update for that. So I manually updated the ones that didn't auto-update. I'm hoping that will get things "caught up" and it will be business as usual from here on.

Will re-post of problems recur.

Thanks for the help.