Automatic Android app updates are usually a good thing. Developers can make new features, bug fixes, or other changes available to users by uploading a new version of their app to the Google Play Store and most Android phones and tablets will download and install those updates automatically.
But there are a few reasons you might want to disable auto app updates. You may want to review updates before installing them. Maybe you have a limited internet connection and want to conserve bandwidth for only the most important updates. Or maybe you don’t want the new version of an app and would rather stick with the older version because it has functionality (or pricing) that you’re happier with.
Fortunately it’s pretty easy to disable automatic updates in the Google Play Store. You can do it for all apps, or just for specific apps.
How to disable auto updates for individual apps
- Open the Google Play Store.
- Tap the three bars in the upper left corner to open the navigation menu.
- Tap the My apps & games option.
- Scroll down until you find the app you want to disable updates for. If you have a lot of apps installed, this may be easier to do by tapping the Installed tab first and then scrolling.
- Tap the name of the app you want disable auto updates for.
- Tap the three dots in the upper right corner of the screen.
- Uncheck the box that says “Enable auto update.”
Now when there’s a new update for this app, you should receive a notification to let you know. You can still manually choose to install the update, but if you do nothing then your mobile device will continue to have the older version of the app or game.
If you want to re-enable auto updates in the future, you can just repeat steps 1-6, and this time check the box that says “Enable auto update” in the final step.
How to disable auto updates for all apps
- Open the Google Play Store.
- Tap the three bars in the upper left corner to open the navigation menu.
- Tap the Settings option.
- Tap the “Auto-update apps” menu item.
- Tap the “Don’t auto-update apps” option.
Again, you can change your settings in the future by repeating steps 1-4 and instead of choosing the “Don’t auto-update apps” option in the final step, choose one of the other options, which are “Over WiFi-only” or “Over any network.” Just note that if you choose any network, cellular data charges may apply if you exceed your data allowance.
If you’re a visual learner, here’s a video guide:
I have disabled auto updates in Google Play for Android using all methods described, but it resets itself to allow auto updates. Sought help from Google with no response.