Android System Webview won’t update (FIX)

Android System WebView is a built-in Android OS component that deals with in-app browsers for first-party and third-party apps. Without it, you wouldn’t be able to use, say, an Instagram browser and opening hyperlinks in the app would fail. However, this service would be just one of those background things regular users never notice if not for the update issues that plague many. It seems that Android System WebView won’t update for some. It’s either Pending or it’s always on the list of Available updates. Learn how to fix this below.

Table of contents:

1. Clear the app data
2. Uninstall app updates
3. Reset Google Play Services
4. Use an APK
5. Wipe the cache partition

How do I update my Android WebView?

Since Android WebView is an integral part of Android OS, it gets updated through Play Store. However, if you can’t seem to update it or the update is stuck in the Pending status, you can clear the app data, try uninstalling updates, or use an APK to get the latest version of this important service.

1. Clear the app data

The first thing you should try is a simple restart. After that, navigate to Play Store and check for updates again. You can try resetting the app by clearing the local data if that does nothing. Once you remove the data, try updating Android System WebView again.

Here’s how to clear the local data from Android System WebView:

1. Open Settings.
2. Select Apps.
3. Choose Android System WebView from the list of available apps.
4. Tap Storage.
5. Tap Clear data.

2. Uninstall app updates

If the previous step failed, you could try resetting the app completely by uninstalling the app updates. That should restart the update process so, hopefully, there won’t be any further issues. You can’t disable Android System WebView although some Android skins offer this option. If you do, somehow, succeed to do so, built-in browsers in third-party apps won’t work and they will start crashing.

Here’s how to uninstall updates from Android System WebView on your Android:

1. Once again, navigate to Settings > Apps > Android System WebView.
2. Tap on the 3-dots menu and then tap Uninstall updates.
3. Select App details in store.
4. Tap Update to update Android System WebView.

3. Reset Google Play Services

The problem might be related to Play Store itself, considering that there are instances when built-in system services won’t update. To restart Play Store, you can try clearing the cache from Google Play Services and Google Services Framework. Make sure not to force stop either of the two, because they are essential system services and greater issues might arise.

Here’s how to clear data from Google Play Services:

1. Open Settings.
2. Select Apps.
3. Tap on the 3-dots menu and choose to Show system processes.
4. Select Google Play Services, tap Storage, select Manage storage, and clear all data.
5. Do the same for Google Services Framework.
6. Restart your device, open Play Store, and try updating Android System WebView.

4. Use an APK

We already talked APKs and app installation from unknown sources. And, in this particular scenario, sideloading an APK might be just the thing you need to fix issues with Android System WebView. The most famous APK aggregate website, APK Mirror, has all the recent versions of Android System WebView available. So if the app got stuck in Play Store, you can download the version with the latest version from APK Mirror and sideload it on your Android device.

Here’s how to download and install Android System WebView APK:

1. Open the APK Mirror Android System WebView page and download the latest version to your device.
2. Run the APK and allow installation from unknown sources.
3. Restart your device and check if the app is updated in Play Store. If you can’t find it, navigate once again to Settings > Apps > Android System WebView > App details in store.

5. Wipe the cache partition

Finally, before you take the steepest path and perform a factory reset, you can try wiping the cache partition. For this, you need to enter the Recovery mode on your device. This action won’t delete any of your data, just clear the system cache.

Follow these steps to wipe the cache partition on your Android:

1. Power off your smartphone.
2. Press and hold the Power button and the Volume Up button. On some devices, you need to hold the Power button + Volume Down while some, like Samsung, require to be connected to a PC with a USB cable to access Recovery or Fastboot modes.
3. Hold both buttons and let go when the boot logo appears.
4. Use the Volume keys to navigate through the menu and select Wipe Cache Partition.
5. Use the Power button to confirm the selection.
6. Now, choose Reboot now and follow through with the setup procedure once again.

And, on that note, we can conclude this article. We certainly hope that this was a helpful read. Thank you for your time and feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below.