How can I upgrade Bitcoin Core from older version to newer version v31.0?

[ImGenius]

I didn’t know which website was the official source for downloading Bitcoin Core so I downloaded it from there.

v30.2 Release Notes

Bitcoin Core version v30.2 is now available from:

https://bitcoincore.org/bin/bitcoin-core-30.2/

Now I currently have Bitcoin Core version v30.2.0


I also didn’t know when version 31.0 was released. Now that I’ve seen there’s a newer version available i want to upgrade to it. However my blockchain sync is already almost 50% complete and I don’t want to lose the current progress or start syncing from scratch.

What is the safest way to upgrade without affecting the existing sync process? Can I simply download the new version and install it directly over the current one?

[LoyceV]

What is the safest way to upgrade without affecting the existing sync process? Can I simply download the new version and install it directly over the current one?

Close Bitcoin Core properly, wait until it's done, then install the new version and just restart it.

[Cookdata]

You can download and upgrade your client without affecting your sync, your sync will continue from where you stop from your previous sync.

When doing installation of new version, make sure you direct your client to your Bitcoin folder where blocks and wallet is saved on your pc just incase you didn't keep it in the default directory.

[nc50lc]

I didn’t know which website was the official source for downloading Bitcoin Core so I downloaded it from there.

It's puzzling that you somehow made it in an old release announcement thread which isn't even the currently pinned topic in Bitcoin discussion board.
It's even buried down to page 17 of that board.
Google search's fault?

Can I simply download the new version and install it directly over the current one?

Yeah, But close any running instance as they said.

And it's rare to have incompatibilities but, there's extra note sometimes in the "release notes" directory of the bitcoin repository, so you may check it when upgrading if you have the time.
v31.0 release notes: github.com/bitcoin/bitcoin/blob/master/doc/release-notes/release-notes-31.0.md#how-to-upgrade
Also, what you've asked in included there.

[Cricktor]

I usually don't rush to update my Bitcoin Core nodes when a new version has been published, unless the new version fixes some severe vulnerabilities that require swift updating.

So, I'm not in a haste to update to Core v31.0, still fine with running Core v30.2. Maybe after 4-8 weeks I consider an update to the newest version most of the times. That's just my routine, YMMV.