You know what Kodi is; you've installed it; you've even been using the open-source software media center for a while. And like any other program you've been using for a while, you should periodically check to see if there are any updates available. Keeping Kodi patched is important, for usability as well as security reasons.
The open-source media library program, formerly known as XBMC, receives periodic updates from its creators. Depending on your platform, installing updates can be either trivially simple or a bit of a process. But even the most complex installation should only take a short time.
Windows and Mac OS
Because Kodi does not automatically update, you'll need to check the Downloads section of the Kodi website every now and then. If you see a new version available, simply download and install it as you would any other Windows or Mac OS program. Our Kodi installation guide can walk you through the process.
Android
Keeping Kodi up to date on Android is trivially simple, assuming that you installed it through the Google Play Store. Your phone or tablet will automatically notify you any time an update is available — in fact, your device may even download and install the updates by itself, depending on your app settings. But if you aren't assiduous about updating your apps, just visit the Play Store page once in a while; if an update is available, the page will let you know.
If you installed Kodi as a third-party app instead, you'll need to uninstall it, then download and install the new version. You can get the latest releases from Kodi's download page.
iOS
Installing Kodi on an iOS device is a tedious process. And unfortunately, keeping it up to date involves the same amount of busywork. Since iOS does not offer automatic updates for third-party software installed via work-arounds, users will have to install updates manually in an unorthodox multistep procedure. Check our Kodi installation guide for more details, but having half an hour on your hands before you start wouldn't hurt.
Other systems
The beauty of Kodi is that you can get it on almost any operating system, from Android TV to Raspberry Pi. If you're tech-savvy enough to install Kodi on a nonstandard platform, you probably don't need a guide on how to update it.
Nevertheless, the process is similar, no matter which system you use: Download the latest version from the Kodi website, then employ whatever process you used to install it in the first place. Most Kodi installations don't update automatically, but a little legwork is surely a fair trade-off for one of the most versatile free media players on the web.
