Tips & Tutorials

The Case Against Automatically Updating Apps

Some people love the convenience of automatic app updates, while others like to manually control their apps. It’s often a matter of preference. However, there are a few things to consider before continuing to have your apps automatically updated. Here are the top 3 reasons you may want to disable, or alter, automatic updates.

You Want to Review an App Before Installing it
Sometimes, you want to know what the new update will include before you install it onto your device. If it doesn’t offer much, you may want to ignore the update. However, some app updates offer crucial security fixes. If you plan to continue using an app without updating it, then make sure you aren’t risking the safety of your device by using an outdated version of the app. Stay informed about the offers of each update. In addition, download PSafe Total to protect your device against possible security threats 24/7.

Read More: How to Backup Your Apps Easily with the Cloud

You Want to See if an App Update Has Too Many Bugs
App developers can often forget to fix critical mistakes or else introduce new ones. It’s a good idea to wait a few days before updating an app. Read about certain app updates to see if there are any problems with the current update. You might want to keep using the app as it is, or else wait for a future update of the app that will fix the issues. This can help you to avoid the frustration of a constantly crashing app.

You Want to Conserve Data Usage
Currently, your phone might update apps at any time, whether you’re using data or Wi-Fi. An easy solution to this would be to restrict automatic updates to Wi-Fi only. You can do this by going to the Play store. Click Menu (the three lines in the top corner), then Settings. Tap Auto-update Apps and then select “auto-update apps over Wi-Fi only.”

How to Disable Automatic Updates for All Apps

  1. This process is similar to the previous process. First, go to the Play store.
  2. Click the menu icon, and then Settings.
  3. Click Auto-update Apps, and then “Do not auto-update apps.”

How to Disable Automatic Updates for Select Apps

  1. Go to the Play store.
  2. Click the menu button, and then My Apps.
  3. Select an app, and then click the menu option (the three vertical dots).
  4. Uncheck Auto-update. Repeat this process for whichever apps you don’t want to automatically update.
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The dfndr blog is an informative channel that presents exclusive content on security and privacy in the mobile and business world, with tips to keep users protected. Populated by a select group of expert reporters, the channel has a partnership with dfndr lab's security team. Together they bring you, first-notice news about attacks, scams, internet vulnerabilities, malware and everything affecting cybersecurity.

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