The “pip” is the package manager and tool consisting of commands to manage and track the installation and upgradation of the latest available versions and package dependencies. However, most of the time, the packages do not properly interact with the “pip” or “Python” due to compatibility issues. In such scenarios, there is a need to upgrade the legacy version of “pip” to a newer version that is compatible with the installed Python version.
This article will demonstrate how you can upgrade pip3 in Python.
How to Upgrade “pip3” in Python?
The “pip3” is the package manager compatible with the latest versions of Python 3.0+ and dedicated to only interacting with the up-to-date versions of the Python 3 environment. Therefore, to avoid unexpected errors and compatibility issues, users can upgrade the legacy version of “pip” to “pip3” using the below-listed prevalent methods:
- Approach 1: Upgrade the “pip” Current Version Using the “–upgrade” Flag
- Approach 2: Upgrade to “pip3” Using the python.exe
- Approach 3: Upgrade to “pip3” Using the “pip install –upgrade”
- Approach 4: Ensure the “pip” Current Version is Upgraded
- Approach 5: Upgrade “pip” with Distributing Package
First, launch the Command Prompt to execute the “pip” commands.
Launch the Command Prompt On Windows
To open the “cmd”, press the key combination of “Win+R” to access the “Run” wizard, then enter “cmd” in the “Open:” field. Hit “OK” to open the Windows “cmd” on the screen:
Check for the Python Version
First, check for the installed Python version in the “cmd” prompt. To check the installed “Python” current version on the “Windows” system utilize the “python -V” command. The “-V” flag will interact with the “cmd” with the installed Python version on the system environment:
python -V
It confirms that the installed current version of Python is 3+. So the “pip3” package manager is required to install the Python 3+ versions packages and dependencies.
Approach 1: Upgrade the “pip” Current Version Using the “–upgrade” Flag
To upgrade the legacy “pip” version to the new “pip3” version the “–upgrade” flag is utilized. The “–upgrade pip” flag will search for the already installed “pip” current version. If the current “pip” version is outdated then the “–upgrade” flag will upgrade the “pip” to the latest version:
python -m pip install --upgrade pip
Approach 2: Upgrade to “pip3” Using the python.exe
To upgrade the “pip3” utilize the “–upgrade” flag. However, if for some reason, the “pip” version is not functioning properly or has not been upgraded properly, and the command exits with an error. In such a scenario, consider the “python.exe -m pip” command for successfully searching for the “pip” module and use the “–upgrade” flag to upgrade the “pip” current version successfully.
To modify the installed “pip”, implement the following command:
python.exe -m pip install --upgrade pip
Approach 3: Upgrade to “pip3” Using the “pip install –upgrade”
Another prevalent command to upgrade the “pip” current version is to use the “–upgrade” flag. The upgrade flag will search for the latest available “pip” version and upgrade it:
pip install –upgrade pip
In our case, the package requirement is already upgraded:
Approach 4: Ensure the “pip” Current Version is Upgraded
To ensure that the “pip3” is upgraded, use the “-m ensurepip” module. The module will search for the upgraded “pip” version and return the statement if it is already updated. However, if the “pip” current version is outdated, the “–upgrade” flag will upgrade the legacy “pip” version to the latest release “pip3”:
python -m ensurepip --upgrade
Approach 5: Upgrade “pip” with Distributing Package
The setuptools is a package process tool to ensure the package dependencies are functioning; however, the pip is a package manager to manage them. The “pip” and “setuptools” interact with each other to install, uninstall, upgrade, and re-download the packages and dependencies. However, if facing any issues regarding the “pip3” upgrade, do consider the following command:
pip3 install --upgrade setuptools pip
The above command will utilize the “–upgrade” flag to upgrade the “pip” and the “setuptools” packages simultaneously and return the statement upon execution on the terminal console:
Checking the “pip” Current Version
To check the installed version of the “pip”, use the “pip3” with the “-V” or “–version” flag. The “-V” or “–version” flag will look for the current version of the “pip3” and display the version on the “cmd” console:
pip3 -V
Alternatively, utilize the below “pip” command:
pip3 --version
Bonus Tip: Forcefully Reinstall the Current Version of “pip” itself
If you have the latest version of “pip3” but for some reason it’s not working then you may force pip to reinstall the version of itself. To forcefully re-download the “pip3” version, the “-m” flag is used. The “-m” flag gives a flexible access to handle the modules. Here, in this case, the “-m” flag will track the “pip” version and upgrade the “pip” package version by reinstalling it using the “–force-reinstall” flag. The “–upgrade” flag looks for the latest available version of “pip” and upgrades it:
python -m pip install --upgrade --force-reinstall pip
That is all about upgrading pip3 in Python.
Conclusion
To upgrade the “pip3” in Python, first launch the Command Prompt from the “Run” wizard, then run the “python” command with the “–upgrade” flag to upgrade “pip” to the new available version. If still encountering issues regarding the “pip3” upgrade then utilize the “python.exe” or “–upgrade setuptools pip” commands. Moreover, you can ensure the upgrade by using the “ensurepip” module. This article has demonstrated prevalent methods to upgrade the “pip3”.
