You could have bought a brand new phone, but only found out that it does not have the latest operating system, and now you are wondering how you could get to it. Depending on the product you could be having, Android device manufacturers do always release over-the-top or OTA updates with new features including security patches and general stability fixes to their devices.

These OTA updates, when rolled out, automatically reach a user’s device through a system update notification. It is from here that a user is able to download and install the update.

The roll out happens on a large scale and it takes some days or even weeks to reach users’ devices. So, in the case that you would like your Android phone to get the update as soon as its out, there’s an option to manually check for OTA updates through device Settings.

The first step to achieve this is by clearing data in the Google Services Framework app on your device. This is because manually checking for OTA updates might or might not work, depending on how active your phone is.

To clear data for Google Services Framework:

  • Go to device Settings » Apps.
  • Tap on the three-dot menu on the top-right corner of the screen and select Show system.
  • Scroll through the apps list and select Google Services Framework.
  • Then select Storage » followed by Clear data.
  • Restart your phone

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When you restart the phone after clearing data for Google Services Framework:

  • Go to device Settings
  • Go to About phone » System update
  • Hit the Check for update button.

You should be able to get an option to download the update you’re looking for. Ensure that you back up your data such as contacts and photos. The upgrade is not meant to affect your data but there are no guarantees, so you should take precaution.

If you hold a device for two years into its lifetime, these OTA updates become less available. This is because there is no strict obligation for the manufacturers to support updates for older models.