How to Prevent Android Apps from Auto-Updating on Mobile Data

Android keeps all your apps up to date with minimal effort. Unfortunately, the update process can be aggressive and use up all your mobile data.

Most Android apps are at least 60MB in size and can rake up to several gigabytes for games. Before you know it, these auto-update apps can clear your mobile data limits.

By default, most Android phones are configured to automatically receive the latest app updates when connected to mobile data or Wi-Fi network.

Fortunately, it’s possible to set your phone to only download updates over a Wi-Fi network. Here’s how to regain control over how your phone uses mobile data.

How to Disable Auto Update Function of Google Play Store

Android handles system updates and app updates differently. System updates protect new versions of Android, your phone from viruses etc. Contains updated security definitions to protect These are set to only download over Wi-Fi by default and you should never turn them off.

However, apps, including pre-installed ones, are updated using the Google Play Store or any manufacturer-specific app store you may have. Disable automatic Wi-Fi app updates by following these simple steps:

Stage 1: Tap the Google Play Store app on your phone.

step 2: Tap on your Profile Picture located at the top right of the screen.

Stage 3: Select Settings.

Step 4: Select Network Preferences.

Step 5: Tap Auto-update apps to open the update settings menu.

Step 6: Select Auto-update apps from the list and then press Done.

It’s about disabling the auto-update feature for apps. However, please note that you should never completely disable this feature. App updates often contain performance fixes and security patches that keep your data safe. Even some apps may stop working properly if you don’t update them for a long time.

You can avoid these problems by selecting Only over Wi-Fi in the Auto-update apps menu. This way you can prevent app updates from using your Mobile Data.

These steps apply to apps you downloaded from the Google Play Store. However, manufacturers like Samsung also install app stores and device-specific apps that receive updates through them.

How to Disable Auto Update Function of Samsung Galaxy Store

The steps to disable automatic updates in the Galaxy store are similar to those presented above.

Stage 1: Launch the Galaxy Store app on your phone.

step 2: Tap the Options Menu located at the top left of the screen.

Stage 3: Tap the Gear Symbol to the right of your profile picture to open the Settings screen.

Step 4: Select Automatically Update Apps.

step 5: Select Using Wi-Fi Only to prevent updates from using Mobile Data or Never to disable the feature entirely.

Disable Auto-Update Function for Pre-Installed and Sideloaded Apps

Pre-installed apps added by the phone manufacturer or your mobile service provider usually get their updates from the device’s app store. If you disable auto-update features for Google Play, Galaxy Store, or other stores bundled by manufacturers, they will also be blocked from updating.

When it comes to sideloaded apps, automatic updating is usually not an issue. These are manually installed using APK files and are not associated with an app store. This means that they will never be updated automatically unless you initiate the process from within a store.

Prevent Certain Apps From Using Mobile Data In The Background

Changing your app store’s settings will stop all downloaded apps from updating. However, you may want to stop only certain apps, such as games, from using your data plan. You can do this by following these steps:

Stage 1: Open settings.

Step 2: Scroll down until you see the apps and select them.

Stage 3: Scroll to and tap the app you want to prevent from updating.Step 4: Select application information to see your installed apps

Step 5: Go to Mobile data under Usage.

Step 6: Disable the Allow background data usage option.

This will prevent the app from using mobile data when not in use. Note that apps like Google Drive will also stop syncing over your mobile data connection. However, if you turn it on manually, the app will still use the data plan.

Avoid Disabling Auto-Update Completely

Manufacturers and app developers release software updates to make sure your phone is taken care of for performance and security. Disabling them completely can make your device vulnerable to people trying to steal your data.

So keeping your apps up to date will save your phone from any performance or potential security issues. If you are getting high mobile data consumption, use the steps above to disable background data usage for your games and cloud storage apps. This way, you can have your apps and games download updates only over Wi-Fi network, not mobile data.