Many Galaxy phones are unable to upgrade their Google Play systems due to a major bug issue

Google Play system updates are broken for many devices, even though Samsung is now updating many Galaxy phones to One UI 6.0 without any problems. A glitch is keeping some Galaxy phones—the S20, S22, S23, Z Fold 5, A33, and maybe others—from receiving new Google Play system upgrades.

Alongside firmware updates, new Google Play system versions are frequently introduced. They roll out individually at other times. Both approaches are valid, but the problem is that a lot of Galaxy phones are currently running a few months behind schedule, and trying to update them manually just makes matters worse.

Numerous Galaxy phones have issues with Google Play system updates

The most recent version of the Google Play system was tested by our friends at Galaxy Club on a variety of Galaxy phone models. While the Galaxy S20 has the May update, some phones are stuck on the more recent August or September GP system updates. But from here on out, things just grow stranger.

When customers try to manually install new Google Play system upgrades, this peculiar bug results in a few strange things happening. Messages like “Your device is up to date” and “Updates are temporarily unavailable” may appear to users.

Even worse, your Galaxy phone may initiate an upgrade, appear to download an updated version of Google Play, and request a restart of the system. Nevertheless, it’s likely that your phone will be running the same GP system update once you finish this step. Additionally, an unending “Checking for update” notice will now appear when you try to check for new versions.

Additionally, we discovered in association with Galaxy Club that, within the same phone model, Google Play system update levels can vary across different markets. It’s not always the same. For example, depending on your region and possibly other unidentified criteria, the Galaxy S22 may have the October GP system update or the July one. However, there isn’t a known method to install more recent versions of Google Play on a phone, independent of the system version.

It’s interesting to note that this has happened with Galaxy phones in the past, and the problem ultimately disappeared, almost by itself. It’s still unclear who is to blame for the issue: Samsung or Google. Open the Settings app on your Galaxy phone, go to “Security and privacy,” and select “Updates” to view the Google Play system version. Next, select “Google Play system update” to search for manual updates.