Galaxy S20 won’t update via OTA [Quick Solutions]

Having trouble installing new updates on your Samsung Galaxy S20? Here’s what to do if your Galaxy S20 won’t update via OTA.

Installing new updates on the new Samsung Galaxy S20 is generally a straightforward process. For OTA updates, sufficient battery life, storage space, and a stable internet connection are the main requirements to download and install available system updates. Nonetheless, there are also several factors that can make such a simple process a bit complicated. And thus, some people would encounter different types of errors while attempting to download and install over-the-air updates.

If you happen to bump into a similar dilemma when attempting to update your galaxy s20 via OTA or wirelessly, I have mapped out the basic yet effective solutions as troubleshooting reference. Read for more information.

What to do if your Galaxy S20 won’t update over the air?

Time Needed : 10 minutes

Highlighted below are potential solutions you can try to rule out common factors that might have hindered your phone from installing an OTA update. You can try these methods before escalating the problem to Samsung Support.

  1. Restart the phone (soft reset).

    Minor software glitches may also trigger occurrence of updating errors and thus could be the main reason why your phone is unable to download the update file. To clear this out, restarting the phone or performing a soft reset can help.
    To soft reset or restart your Galaxy S20, just press and hold the Power/Side button until the power options appear. Then tap on the Restart icon to instigate system restart.
    Allow your phone to finish rebooting and then reconnects to the Internet. When the internet connection becomes stable, retry updating over the air and see if the problem is gone.

    fix galaxy s20 wont update via ota - restart soft reset

  2. Refresh your internet connection.

    Random network connectivity issues are also among the possible causes. If the phone is experiencing slow internet, intermittent connection or no internet connection at all, it wouldn’t be able to access the update server and therefore unable to download the update file. 
    To clear out random internet issues from the underlying cause, turning Wi-Fi off for a few seconds and then back on again can be deemed an effective solution.
    You can use the Wi-Fi toggle through settings or from the notification panel to refresh the internet connection. 
    Another way to do this is through the Airplane mode toggle. Turning the Airplane mode switch on and off can also help fix minor network issues including those that caused updating errors.


    fix galaxy s20 wont update via ota - refresh wifi internet

  3. Check and manage internal memory.

    Insufficient memory space is also another factor to consider. Update files will require sufficient storage on your device. Although this isn’t likely the case given the fact that what you’ve got is a new device with bigger storage capacity, it wouldn’t hurt to check and eliminate storage issues from the underlying causes.
    To access and view available memory on your Galaxy S20, simply navigate to Settings-> Device care-> Memory menu. From there you should see the available storage space as well as details on how much storage each of your apps is utilizing.
    If the remaining storage is less than 1GB, you can free up some space by deleting old and unused apps from your phone.

    fix galaxy s20 wont update via ota - manage internal memory

  4. Reset all settings.

    System settings that are not properly configured are also among the possible factors to eliminate as they may halt the system from updating is intended. This is usually the case if you’ve made some changes to customize your phone’s settings according to your preference. To clear this out, resetting all settings is recommended. Doing so will eliminate all customized settings and then restores the default values and options. Any associated errors will also be eliminated.
    To reset all settings, just go to Settings-> General Management-> Reset menu then tap Reset settings from the given options. You will be prompted with a notification regarding what happens if you reset all settings on the phone. Read and review the message details then tap Reset settings again then Reset to confirm.
    Performing this reset does not affect any saved information on the internal memory, thus creating backups won’t be necessary.
    Just don’t forget to re-enable necessary features (particularly those that are disabled by default) after the reset so you can use them on your phone again.

    fix galaxy s20 wont update via ota - reset all settings

  5. Factory reset.

    If all else failed to yield positive outcomes, your next option would be a factory reset. This however is only optional as it will wipe out all data from the phone. Nonetheless, performing a factory reset is likely needed to eliminate complex system errors that might have prevented your phone from updating wirelessly.
    Should you wish to troubleshoot further and resort to a factory reset, you can use the reset command through settings.
    To do this, navigate to Settings-> General management-> Reset menu then select Factory data reset from the given options. Before you proceed, be sure to back up all important files from your device so you can still restore or recover them later. After securing the backup, tap the Reset button then Delete all to confirm.
    Wait for the phone to finish resetting and then restarts on its own. After it reboots, all factory default settings are restored. You then can use the startup wizard to automatically set up necessary features including Wi-Fi internet.

    fix galaxy s20 wont update via ota - factory data reset

Tools
  • Android 10, One UI 2.0
Materials
  • Galaxy S20, Galaxy S20 Plus, Galaxy S20 Ultra

Still couldn’t update your Galaxy S20 over the air?

If none of the above solutions worked, try to update your phone using Samsung Smart Switch. In order to get this done, you will need to secure a computer with Samsung Smart Switch app installed. If you haven’t installed the app yet, you can download and install the version of Samsung Smart Switch that’s compatible with your computer.

Just visit the Samsung support website and navigate to the smart switch support page. 

Once you’ve got the app installed and ready, get your Samsung USB cable and use it to connect your phone to the computer. Allow your computer to install necessary drivers for your phone and once it’s done, launch the Smart Switch app and let it sync with your phone.

You will be prompted with a new update notification. Just click the Update button then follow the rest of the onscreen instructions to download and install the update using Smart Switch.

You can also seek further assistance from your service provider or Samsung Support if needed.

And that covers everything in this troubleshooting guide. Please keep posted for more comprehensive troubleshooting guides and tutorials that would help you make the most of what the new Samsung galaxy s20 has to offer.

You can also check out our YouTube channel to view more smartphone video tutorials and troubleshooting guides.

ALSO READ: How to fix overheating problem on Galaxy S20

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Grace

Grace is always fascinated by technology, and her passion for it led her to become an IT professional. She started off as a computer instructor and later moved on to the BPO industry, where she worked as an account specialist and a technical support agent. From a computer instructor to a technical support specialist to a virtual technical content creator, Grace had come a long way. And she's only just getting started.

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