Right out of the box, the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 will have many apps in the Google Play Store that need updating. Buyers who only get one will likely update them all, but more will emerge in the weeks and months following your first day with it. For those of you who don’t want to constantly bother with notifications to update apps, or want to check what’s being updated manually, here we’ll explain how to manage or disable automatic app updates on the new Galaxy Note 5.
Samsung’s new Note 5 is a big, powerful device packed with features, options and advanced controls that can be a little confusing at times. One thing that is constantly asked is apps that update automatically so here we will explain how to disable this on your new Note 5.
Those who do not want their Note 5 to update on its own, or rather are not bothered by tons of notifications to update apps on a daily basis, have several easy ways to fix this problem. There are a few simple and easy-to-find settings on the Google Play Store that we’ll explain, and the images below will show you which settings to change. This is very useful for first-time Android smartphone owners or someone who is switching from an iPhone.
Be default Galaxy Note 5 will automatically update apps; this is the easiest way to drop something for most owners, but at the same time, many want to check what updates and when. This could be to save data and update over WiFi only when at home, or to actually control which apps get updated. Play Store also adds an icon for new downloads to the home screen and we can disable this obnoxious feature in this settings menu as well.
Whether you do this or not is up to you and everyone has different wishes and preferences. Those who want full control will want to follow the steps below.
We won’t be dealing with settings on the Galaxy Note 5 itself and instead we have everything related to the Google Play Store where you get games, apps or music. Go to the Google Play Store by tapping the icon on your home screen or finding it in your app tray.
After entering the Google Play Store, users can select the top left (3 lines) menu button next to the “Google Play” search bar. From here go to “Settings” and select it as shown below.
This will bring users to the general settings for the Google Play Store. The first option listed in this menu is “Auto-update apps” and you will want to select that. From here just choose the one that works best for you. By default, it will be set to automatically update apps over Wi-Fi, which most users should leave on. We don’t want apps to be updated when using data as this will use a full 2-4GB data plan and incur over usage charges from a carrier. Choose “Auto-update apps” instead.
Choosing this means users will be constantly notified in the notification panel at the top that apps need to be updated, rather than just updating them on their own. However, this gives owners control to see what has been updated, check the change logs to find out what’s new, and stop the updates. I would never update my text message replacement app, Textra, as I like an older version than the one currently available.
It’s best to update apps over WiFi to save data, not to mention many home internet connections or WiFi hotspots are faster than your smartphone. Then, as we mentioned above, here you can uncheck the feature that automatically puts icons on the home screen when an app is downloaded. That’s nice, but if you download too much, you’ll quickly fill all those home screens with icons. Keep it clean and disable this while you’re here.
Casual smartphone users or those new to Android may want to let the smartphone do everything for them. My family always hates getting notifications for updates so they have it set to automatic. Personally, I prefer to check for what updates and look at change logs and permission requests, so I do it all manually.
If you use auto-update, you won’t know what’s new because you didn’t read while updating the app. You’ll notice changes made to popular apps like Facebook, YouTube, and even games you might enjoy.
In the end it’s all about personal preference. Do what suits your needs, what’s easiest for you, and enjoy the new Galaxy Note 5.
