Google added a new system app called Android System Webview in the recent android versions. This app allows third-party apps (like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Tiktok etc.) to display web content without leaving the app completely.

This means when you open any link on a third-party app like Instagram, then the link will not open in the Chrome browser, but Android System Webview allows it to be opened within the app itself.

Here are a few solutions that could help fix the issue.

Reboot the device

Rebooting the device restarts all of its system processes. This way, if some Android process is causing an error, it will be fixed automatically.

Check the internet connection

A good data speed is needed to update from the Playstore. Close all the apps using data from the background if the same issue persists.

You can also use any third-party app to check if any other app is using the data in the background.

Close all other apps that use a data connection and then retry the download, and this should fix the issue.

Stop auto-updating all apps

If the update all apps automatically option is enabled, it may cause download issues. Try updating manually.

Steps to stop auto-updating all android apps:

1. Open your Google PlayStore on your device.
2. Click on the profile photo at the top right corner of the search box.
3. Tap on Manage apps and devices.
4. Next, tap on the Manage tab.
5. Hit on the Stop button to stop updating the apps.
6. Now update only Chrome and Android System Webview apps to fix the download issue.

The above are the basic solutions, and mostly, it fixes the issue, and if they didn’t, then follow the steps below as well.

Clear Google Play Store Cache and Storage

Play Store data may get corrupted causing the issue with app updates, it’s a good idea to clear the cache and storage of the Play Store.

Steps to clear storage and clean up Google Play Store on Android:

1. Open your Settings app on your device.
2. Tap on the Apps and Notification tab.
3. Tap the See all apps link to open the installed apps list.
4. Search and open the Google Play Store app.
5. Within the Google Play Store app info page, select on Storage & Cache options.
6. Hit on Clear Storage command and Clear cache.

Relaunch the Google Play Store app and try updating the Chrome and Android System WebView app.

If that doesn’t work, then clear cache and storage of the Google Play services as well.

Uninstall Android System Webview and Chrome

There are high chances that the Android System Webview is the main problem, and because of it, Chrome is not updating. To solve this, first of all, reset the Android System Webview app. Try uninstalling the Android System Webview app first.

Steps to uninstall Android System Webview:

1. Open the Google play store app.
2. In the search bar and search for the Android System Webview app
3. Tap on the Uninstall option and proceed.
4. The Android System Webview updates will be uninstalled.

Now retry updating the Google Chrome browser to check if the problem is fixed. If not, then repeat the same process with the Chrome app as well and try again.

Clear cache, storage, and force stop the Android System Webview

Here are the steps to force stop and clear data, cache for Android system webview.

Force stop Android System Webview

1. Go to the settings app on your device.
2. Then open Apps and Notification tab
3. Proceed to the App info tab and tap on it.
4. Tap on the menu icon in the upper right corner to open a menu.
5. Select the ‘Show system’ option to see all the available apps.
6. Tap to open the Android System Webview app from the list of apps.
7. Tap on that to Force stop the app.

Now you can update the app, and if the issue persists, then you need to clear the cache and data.

Clear Cache and Data of Android System Webview

1. Go to the settings app on your device.
2. Then open Apps and Notification tab
3. Proceed to the App info tab and tap on it.
4. Tap on the menu icon in the upper right corner to open a menu.
5. Select the ‘Show system’ option to see all the available apps.
6. Tap to open the Android System Webview app from the list of apps.
7. Click on the Storage and cache option on the app information window.
8. Tap on those options to Clear Storage and Clear Cache.

Now, update the android WebView app from Google PlayStore.

Repeat the same process with the Chrome app and Google Playstore app as well, if the above doesn’t work.

Leave the beta testing program

Beta testing gives its users early access to any new update before it goes public. This service is for testing the new updates, and there is a high chance that the beta updates have bugs.

If you are also a part of beta testing or you opted for it by mistake, then you might be using a beta update app. Leaving the beta testing program might help resolve the problem.

1. Open the Google PlayStore app.
2. Search for the Android system Webview app.
3. Scroll down until you see the option as shown in the image below.
4. Tap on the option to Leave the beta program.

Manually download updates

If all the above methods have failed, then this will most likely be the ultimate solution. Download and install the latest update of Android System Webview and Chrome from third-party APK sites and install it manually.

Steps to manually download from a third-party site

Search for Android System Webview on APKmirror.

1. Scroll down until you see a list of all versions.
2. Click on the download icon on the right side.
3. Scroll down until you see all the downloadable app variants. Then choose a compatible app to your device.
4. Click on the Variant number to proceed.
5. Click on the Download button to begin to download the APK.
6. Press the OK button to accept the download as it is not harmful to your device. Lastly, install the APK file by tapping on it.

Don’t forget to only use trusted APK sites to download the APK file, as APK files from fake sites may contain malware, so be aware of it.