How to stop Android apps from updating automatically

When I recently got an Android device, the first thing that I did was install lots of applications on it. Later, when I was out, I kept my device connected to the internet on my 3G connection and didn’t stare at the screen for a while. When I did, there was an application updating in the background on its own and then I realized that all apps were set to update automatically and this was not really something that I needed.

It’s a good thing to keep all the applications up to date. But people like me, who run on limited internet data packs, don’t really want our phones to do that all the time. So here is how you can set the option of updating apps only when you want them to:

• On your android device, open the Play Store.

• Go to the menu section (three square dots placed vertically on the top right of your screen).
• Select settings from the menu that pops open.

• Click on the Auto-update apps tab under the General section and choose the setting according to your will, that is if applications should not update automatically at all, should do so over Wi-Fi only or they should do it every time.

• Choose one of the options and you’re good to go.

If you have access to Wi-Fi with an unlimited data plan, then it’s recommended to Auto-update apps over Wi-Fi only.