How to fix Galaxy S8 won’t install software update issue

Are you having trouble with your Galaxy S8 not downloading software updates? We know that there are many S8 owners having this problem. If you are one of them, learn what to do by following our suggestions below.

Problem: Galaxy S8 won’t install software update

My mom’s Galaxy S8 has been saying downloading software update. Please do not leave WiFi coverage area , for some hours now. The progress bar is still at 0 and haven’t moved. The phone has been in WiFi range for that whole day . The weird thing is also we can also do other things on the phone but the “software update “ stays the same . If y’all can help us it would be great and thank you!

Solution: There’s a number of troubleshooting steps that you can try to fix this issue. Follow our suggestions below and see which one will work for you.

Make room for updates

Ensure that your Galaxy S8 is ready to receive the new update. You can do that by having at least 1GB of free storage space. If there’s currently not enough room, delete some apps or move non-system critical files such as photos, videos, documents, music, etc. to an SD card, computer, or another phone. Most system update files are relatively big so having at least 1GB of free space is important. If you can free up more space than that, then that’s even better.

Clear cache partition

Some updates may not proceed normally if the current system cache is corrupted. To ensure that there’s no cache issue, try to clear your device’s cache partition. Here’s how:

Turn off the device.
Press and hold the Volume Up key and the Bixby key, then press and hold the Power key.
When the Android logo displays, release all keys (‘Installing system update’ will show for about 30 – 60 seconds before showing the Android system recovery menu options).
Press the Volume down key to highlight “wipe cache partition.”
Press the Power key to select.
Press the Volume down key to highlight “yes” and press the Power key to select.
When the wipe cache partition is complete, “Reboot system now” is highlighted.
Press the Power key to restart the device.

Reset app preferences

Another good way to solve this problem is by making sure that you set all apps back to their known working state. This is done by resetting all apps back to their original configuration. Here’s how:

Open Settings app.
Tap Apps.
Tap More settings (three-dot) icon at the upper right.
Tap Reset app preferences.

Download update on Safe Mode

In case one of the apps is preventing the update from proceeding, you can try to restart your S8 to safe mode. Doing so blocks all downloaded apps from working. So, if your S8 updates on safe mode only, you can bet an app is the culprit.

Turn the device off.
Press and hold the Power key past the model name screen.
When “SAMSUNG” appears on the screen, release the Power key.
Immediately after releasing the Power key, press and hold the Volume down key.
Continue to hold the Volume down key until the device finishes restarting.
Safe mode will display in the bottom left corner of the screen.
Release the Volume down key when you see Safe Mode.

If you think there’s an app problem, you need to use the process of elimination to identify it. Here’s how:

Boot to safe mode.
Check for the problem.
Once you’ve confirmed that a third party app is to blame, you can start uninstalling apps individually. We suggest that you begin with the most recent ones you added.
After you uninstall an app, restart the phone to normal mode and check for the problem.
If your S8 is still problematic, repeat steps 1-4.

Factory reset

Wiping the phone and returning its software back to their defaults may be the only solution that you can try. You should try to factory reset your device if none of the suggestions above fail. Here’s how:

Create a backup of your personal data.
Turn off the device.
Press and hold the Volume Up key and the Bixby key, then press and hold the Power key.
When the green Android logo displays, release all keys (‘Installing system update’ will show for about 30 – 60 seconds before showing the Android system recovery menu options).
Press the Volume down key several times to highlight ‘wipe data / factory reset’.
Press Power button to select.
Press the Volume down key until ‘Yes — delete all user data’ is highlighted.
Press Power button to select and start the master reset.
When the master reset is complete, ‘Reboot system now’ is highlighted.
Press the Power key to restart the device.

Workarounds

There are some special situations that workarounds mentioned below may apply.

Unroot (optional)

This possible workaround is only applicable for rooted devices. Some root software may intentionally block Samsung or carrier updates. If your S8 is rooted, try to unroot it first before installing updates again.

Block software updates

If you can’t figure out the cause of the problem and the update notifications have become annoying, you can intentionally block them from appearing using third party apps. Most carrier-provided phones don’t have an option to turn off system update notifications so blocking them is not possible. If you have such a phone, try to find apps like Package Disabler Pro+ (Samsung) in Play Store to block Samsung updates. When using these type of apps, be sure to do some research first as they often gather more data from the device and may even compromise the system. There’s a reason why Google keeps blocking Package Disabler Pro+ (Samsung) from the Play Store.

Make sure device is compatible with network

Phones originally designed for a certain network will not be able to update Android when used in a different carrier. For example, an AT&T Galaxy S8 won’t be able to install Android update if unlocked and used in a T-Mobile network. If your S8 was not provided by your carrier, this may be the reason for the problem. Talk to your carrier about it to see if there’s something that they can do to help.