An image forming apparatus includes a first device having first circuitry and a printer and/or a scanner, and a second device to operate the first device, the second device including second circuitry to install, on a memory of the second device, one or more applications for executing image processing using the printer or the scanner. When determining that a current time is equal to an update time set within an update time range defined by a user, the second circuitry acquires, from a server via the first device and a network, update target application information indicating a target application among the one or more applications installed in the second device, requests, to the server via the first device, downloading of the target application, acquires the target application from the server via the first device, and installs the acquired target application in the second device.