Did you ever update an Android app and find the new version to be broken, missing features you needed, or have a different look and feel that you don’t like? While app updates are usually aimed at making the experience better for users, sometimes you may not want or like the changes. Android lets you remove updates and roll back to the old version of an app. We will guide you through the process in today’s guide.
How to Go Back to an Older Version of an App on Android
Well, there are two ways you can go back to the previous version of an app on your Android phone. One is by using the built-in method to uninstall updates and another is manually sideloading an older APK file.
Method 1: Uninstall App Updates
Many pre-installed system apps and apps downloaded from the Google Play Store allow you to seamlessly uninstall their updates, reverting them to the factory version. Here’s how:
- Open the Settings app, tap on Apps, and then on App Management.
- Select the app you want to revert to its older version.
- Tap the three-dot menu icon on the top right corner and select Uninstall updates.
Once done, the app will go back to the version that originally came pre-installed on your device or the one you first downloaded from the Play Store.
While it’s easy, it only works if the app has its updates packaged separately from the main installation. If you don’t see the Uninstall Updates option, you can follow the next method.
Also Read: How to Uninstall Software Update On Android
Method 2: Sideload an Older APK
APK files are the Android app installation packages. You can manually install an older version of the app by sideloading its APK file.
- Uninstall the targeted app.
- Navigate to a safe website to download APK for Android, such as APKMirror.
- Search for the app and tap the Download button next to the app name.
- Scroll down, tap on SEE AVAILABLE DOWNLOADS, and choose the version you want to download.
- Tap on the Download button, and then on DOWNLOAD APK.
- Go to the Files app on the device and open the Downloads folder.
- Tap on the three dots on the right side of the APK name and then select Install.
- You’ll be prompted to allow installing apps from this source. So, tap on Settings and turn the toggle on for Allow from this source.
- Tap on Install when prompted.
How to Prevent Automatic Updates on Your Android Afterwards
Once you’ve reverted to an older app version, you’ll want to prevent it from being automatically updated again from the Play Store. Here’s how:
- Open the Play Store app.
- Tap your profile icon in the top right corner and go to Settings.
- Tap on Network preferences and then on Auto-update apps.
- Select Don’t auto-update apps and tap on OK.
While Google doesn’t officially make it possible to downgrade Android apps, the above methods make it pretty simple to roll back to an older version of an app on an Android device.
If you have any queries or suggestions for us, let us know in the comments section, and stay tuned to TechCult for more helpful blogs.
The first advice doesn’t work at all. There isn’t the 3 dots when opening the app.
Can addtional advice be provided when the 3 dots isn’t on tye screen? I also don’t have the “app managnent” option. Th list of apps loads as soon as clicking “apps” in the setting menu