How Do I Stop My TV from Automatically Updating Apps?
Smart TVs are designed to keep apps up to date to ensure smooth functionality and improved security. However, automatic updates can sometimes consume bandwidth, cause unexpected changes in app interfaces, or even lead to glitches. If you prefer more control over your TV’s apps, you might want to disable automatic updates.
Here’s how to stop your TV from updating apps automatically, depending on the brand and operating system.
📺 For Samsung Smart TVs (Tizen OS)
Press the Home button on your remote.
Navigate to Apps.
Select the Settings (gear icon) in the top right corner.
Scroll to Auto Update and toggle it Off.
Note: You’ll still be able to update apps manually through the app settings menu.
📺 For LG Smart TVs (webOS)
Unfortunately, LG Smart TVs do not offer a direct option to disable automatic app updates. Apps are updated automatically in the background whenever the TV is connected to the internet.
Workaround: To limit updates, you can:
Disconnect your TV from the internet when not in use.
Set your TV to prompt before software updates, though this doesn't apply to apps specifically.
📺 For Android TVs and Google TVs (Sony, Hisense, TCL, etc.)
Open the Google Play Store from the Home screen.
Navigate to Settings.
Select Auto-update apps.
Choose Don’t auto-update apps.
This prevents automatic app updates over both Wi-Fi and mobile data (if applicable).
📺 For Fire TV (Amazon)
Apps on Fire TV devices are usually set to auto-update by default.
To disable:
Go to Settings > Applications > Appstore.
Scroll to Automatic Updates.
Set it to Off.
📝 A Few Things to Keep in Mind
Security risks: Disabling auto-updates may expose your TV to vulnerabilities if outdated apps are not updated manually.
Manual updates: You can always update apps manually by going into your TV's app store and checking for updates.
Conclusion
While not all Smart TVs allow disabling automatic app updates, many do offer the option—especially Android TV, Fire TV, and Samsung TVs. If you value stability, bandwidth control, or prefer old app versions, turning off auto-updates can give you more control over your Smart TV experience.
