If you don’t want automatic software and app updates consuming mobile data in the background, you can set them to update over a WiFi connection only. If you’re on a limited WiFi budget, you may want to disable the background updates forever. You can always pick and choose which apps you wish to update, depending on the data you have available. Here’s how you can disable automatic updates on your Android phone.
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Should you disable automatic updates?
While turning off background updates may seem like an easy way to limit data consumption, it can prove to be detrimental to your device. Keeping your phone updated to the latest OS version not only gives you access to new features but also upgrades the device’s defence against the latest viruses, malware, and other malicious threats. Therefore, solely from a security standpoint, software updates are essential for every device.
While turning off automatic app updates does not come with such immense security risks, it may result in a drop in performance. Older versions of apps are sluggish and poorly optimised for the ever-changing OS platform. Not to mention, developers routinely fix the bugs on their apps by pushing out new updates for them. New features are rolled out with app updates. This is why it is recommended that you keep your most-used apps updated to their latest versions.
Disable automatic software updates on your Android phone
Step 1: Go to Settings and select System & updates.
Step 2: Tap on Software update.
Step 3: Hit the ellipses in the top right corner of the screen and select Auto update.
Step 4: Tap on Auto download and select Do not allow in the drop-down menu.
Step 5: Turn off the toggle switch next to Auto-update overnight.
Disable auto-updates for the apps on your Android phone
Step 1: Launch the Google Play Store app on your phone and tap your profile picture in the top right corner of the screen.
Step 2: Tap on Settings.
Step 3: Tap on Network preferences and select Auto-update apps.
Step 4: Select Don’t auto-update apps.
Disable automatic updates for a specific app on your Android phone
Step 1: Launch the Google Play Store app on your phone and switch to the Search tab.
Step 2: Type the name of the app for which you want to disable auto-updates.
Step 3: Open the app’s page and hit the ellipses in the top right corner of the screen.
Step 4: Uncheck the box next to Enable auto-updates.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How do I disable automatic software updates on Android?
Go to Settings>System & update>Software update, tap the ellipses, select ‘Auto update’, tap on ‘Auto download’, and select ‘Do not allow’.
How do I disable auto-update in the Play Store?
Go to Google Play Store, tap your profile picture, navigate to Settings>Network preferences>Auto-update apps, and select ‘Don’t auto-update apps’.
How do I stop WhatsApp from being updated on Android?
If you want to disable automatic updates for a specific app (in this case, WhatsApp), open its page in the Play Store, hit the ellipses, and uncheck the box next to ‘Enable auto-updates’.
How do I stop my iPhone from automatically updating?
Go to Settings>Software Update>Automatic Updates and turn off the toggle switch.
How do I turn off auto-updates on my Windows 11 PC?
Go to Settings>Update & Security>Windows Update>Advanced Options>Pause Updates and select the date till which you want to halt the updates.
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Final Thoughts
This is how you can disable automatic updates on your Android phone. If your phone is unable to automatically update apps, you need to try these basic fixes. If you have any questions, let us know in the comments!
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