It is easier than ever to update your Facebook account with the help of mobile applications. Whether on your Android tablet or smartphone, the application gives you the mobile version of Facebook, allowing you to snap pictures, shares videos, and comment on posts with just a few taps of your finger. However, it is important for you to keep your Facebook app up to date. There are several reasons why you need to do this.
First, Facebook is constantly under the threat of hackers. Due to the amount of personal information stored on your account there are numerous individuals who may want to access your account and steal your personal data. To keep your information protected, Facebook will update the application. Some updates are designed to work with the latest Android release and still other updates bring new features to your mobile Facebook experience.
Whatever the reason and whatever is going on, it's a good idea to keep your Facebook app up to date on your Android device. Thankfully, this is easier to do than ever, and, regardless of the Android device you're using, the process is more or less the same.
HOW TO UPDATE FACEBOOK APP
Your mobile device will probably update the Facebook app automatically. However, if it doesn't (typically due to configurations on the phone or tablet), you must perform the update on your device manually.
PERFORMING THE FACEBOOK UPDATE
Close out your Facebook application. In order for the app to install and become the default Facebook app you'll need to close out the app. To do this, first exit out of the app and return to your home screen. Now, pull up the active application menu. On most Android devices, you can swipe up on the bottom of the screen to bring up the three screen buttons.
Push the lower right screen button. A window will load showing all the current mobile apps running on your device. Choose "Close All" to close out all the apps. If your Android device has a physical lower right button instead of a digital screen button, the process is exactly the same except that you will push the physical button instead.
With the Facebook app closed out, choose the "Google Play" application. This has a colorful triangle icon. It should be on your home screen. Once you find it, open the application. When the application is open, place your finger on the far left side of the screen and swipe to the right, keeping your finger on the screen. This brings up your account pull-down menu. Choose "My Apps." This will display all the apps you have downloaded and installed on your mobile device. You can now either select "update all," or scroll down to where your Facebook application is listed and select to update this app individually.
Google Play will now download the application and update it on your device. It's best if you are connected to Wi-Fi so you don't use up your personal data for the download. Once the download has finished you are able to open the Facebook app and use the new features.
UPDATING DIRECTLY FROM GOOGLE PLAY
There may be times where you find it easier to update directly from the Google Play store instead of heading over to your personal applications list. It's possible you may have deleted Facebook from your phone and need to download the latest version. When this is the case and you're in Google Play, choose the "App" section of Google Play (as apposed to "Music" or "Movies"). Now, type in "Facebook" into the search bar to bring up the Facebook application.
Make sure to choose "Facebook" from the list of apps. There are several other app options, such as Facebook Messenger and other, third party app options. When you select the Facebook application, you'll see the option of "Install" if you don't have it on your phone. If you already have the Facebook app on your device choose "Update" and the device will download and install the Facebook app update.
AUTOMATIC UPDATES
One of the easiest ways to stay on top of not only the Facebook app update, but all application updates, is to tell Android to automatically update the applications. This way, you don't need to constantly check if there is an update.
UPDATING ALL ANDROID APPLICATIONS AUTOMATICALLY
To tell Android to perform the automatic update, you'll want to again return to the Google Play store. When the application opens ,up choose the "Menu" option, followed by "Settings."
When the settings feature loads scroll down and choose "Auto-Update Apps." After making this selection you'll be greeted with several different options. The two options you need to look at are:
It is important to consider your cell phone data plan. It is almost always best to wait and update your applications over Wi-Fi only. Some applications are large and require massive file updates; potentially a few hundred megabytes in size. If your mobile data plan only come with a few gigabytes of data, your plan will be tapped out in just a few downloads.
In addition, if you're constantly downloading using data, you'll use a good amount of your battery, and, as you likely know, the older your phone is the faster the battery runs dry. The last thing you want is your battery running dry when you're out and about because it downloaded an application update. So select the update option you're interested in and select "OK." Android will now automatically update all applications, including Facebook, based on your Wi-Fi or data selection.
UPDATING JUST THE FACEBOOK APPLICATION AUTOMATICALLY
If, for whatever reason, you only want Facebook or other specific applications to update automatically, and not all of them, you can pick and choose what applications Android updates automatically and what applications you'll be left updating on your own.
Return to the Google Play store and choose "Menu," followed by "My Apps & Games." When in the new section, scroll down and choose the "Facebook" application. Now, tap the three vertical dot symbol (which brings up more options). In the new More menu choose "Enable auto update."
This will now set Facebook up to be automatically updated. You can repeat this process with any other application you want to update automatically. This is helpful if you have certain apps you don't want to update automatically due to their size or because some file updates are not working on your version of Android.
FINDING THE LATEST VERSION
If you want to find the latest Version of the Facebook app, open up the Google Play application, type in "Facebook" in the search bar and then choose the Facebook selection from the top of the menu. If you have the latest version installed on your device, you will be given two options: "Uninstall" and "Open." If you do not have the latest version on your device, you'll be asked to "Uninstall" or "Update."
FINDING OUT WHAT VERSION IS ON YOUR PHONE
There might be a time where you want to know the exact version you are running on Android. To do this, you must choose the "Settings" option on your home screen. When Settings loads, choose "Application Settings," followed by "Manage Application." You can now scroll over and choose "Facebook."
In the Facebook section, if you scroll down, you'll see the version you have on your phone. Do note that the exact method for reaching the Applications Manager on your Android device will vary slightly based on the Android version you're running and the kind of device you have. Android for Samsung runs slightly differently from Android for the Google Pixel or for LG. However, with these instructions you shouldn't have any issue locating it.
You can also look at the current version of the Facebook app in the Google Play store. Return to the Google Play store, then type in "Facebook" into the search field. Choose the Facebook application option from the menu and scroll down. You'll see the application version number listed just under the title as well as the date that version was released to the Google Play store.
CONCLUSION
Facebook is the most popular social media application available. It allows you to stay connected with friends and family members by posting everything from images to sharing videos and commenting on other posts. However, it is important for you to keep the Facebook app up to date.
Having the latest version of the application running on your mobile device improves app security, which is a must. This cuts down on your chances of suffering a hack or losing personal data. It also gives you access to new features while it fixes problems and patches issues present on previous versions. No matter what device you have or the Android you have running on the device, it is possible to download and install the latest Facebook application version directly to your phone or tablet to improve your user experience while in the Facebook eco-system.
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