To stop routine automatic Chrome updates, turn off Chrome’s Google Play auto-update setting on Android, turn off App Store app updates on iPhone or iPad, or hold Chrome’s Linux package. Personal Windows and Mac installations have no supported automatic-update off switch, but you can postpone the restart that applies a downloaded update.
Choose the control for your device, keeping downloads and restarts separate. Delaying a desktop restart leaves the downloaded update ready to apply, while blocking updates also blocks future security patches.
The short version
- Android: Clear Enable auto update for Chrome in Google Play to stop its routine automatic updates.
- iPhone and iPad: Turn off App Updates in App Store settings, which affects all App Store apps.
- Windows and Mac: Select Not now to postpone a downloaded update until Chrome next restarts.
- Linux and Chromebook: Hold Chrome’s Linux package or defer a Chromebook’s pending restart, depending on your device.
| Control | Where it applies | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Postpone the restart | Desktop Chrome | Delays applying a downloaded update |
| Open About Google Chrome | Desktop Chrome | Checks for updates; Linux installation uses its package manager |
| Quit and reopen Chrome | Desktop Chrome | Applies an already-downloaded update |
| Clear Enable auto update | Android Chrome | Stops routine automatic updates for Chrome alone |
| Select Don’t auto-update apps | Google Play | Stops routine automatic updates for all Play-managed apps |
| Select Update beside Chrome | Google Play | Installs an available update manually |
| Turn off App Updates | iPhone and iPad | Stops automatic updates for all App Store apps |
| Select Update beside Chrome | App Store | Installs an available update manually |
| Choose an update network preference | Google Play | Controls Wi-Fi and mobile-data use |
| Turn off Cellular Data | App Store settings | Prevents App Store cellular downloads |
| Enable Low Data Mode | iPhone and iPad connections | Pauses automatic App Store updates on that connection |
| Hold Chrome’s package | APT Linux | Prevents APT upgrades of the installed package |
| Add a version lock | DNF5 Linux | Locks Chrome’s version for DNF5 transactions |
| Add a package lock | Zypper Linux | Locks Chrome’s package for ZYpp-based applications |
| Select Manual | GNOME Software | Stops its automatic checking and downloading |
| Check for updates and choose when to restart | Chromebook | Updates Chrome with ChromeOS; deferring the restart does not stop downloads |
Control when desktop Chrome applies an update
On a personal Windows PC or Mac, you can control when a downloaded Chrome update takes effect. When Chrome offers an update restart, select Not now to keep using the current session. The update applies the next time Chrome restarts, and this choice does not disable future downloads.
When you are ready to update, open Chrome’s More menu, select Help, then choose About Google Chrome. Opening that page checks for updates. Select Relaunch when an update is ready; on Linux, your package manager handles installation.
Quitting and reopening Chrome also applies an already-downloaded update. On Windows or Linux, choose More > Exit; on Mac, choose Chrome > Quit Google Chrome. Reopen the browser to finish applying the update.
Google’s enterprise update controls require a qualifying managed device or enrolled browser. An old registry edit on an unmanaged Windows PC or the old Mac Keystone update-interval command is not a supported current consumer solution. Google also provides no supported consumer update-off procedure based on disabling old updater services, deleting scheduled tasks, or renaming updater files.
Stop automatic Chrome updates on Android
Android gives you a setting specifically for Chrome, so you can leave other apps updating automatically. Open the Google Play Store, tap your profile picture, then select Manage apps & device > Manage. Choose Chrome, open More, and clear Enable auto update.
To resume routine automatic Chrome updates, return to the same screen and select Enable auto update. Google says Play can still distribute fixes for critical security vulnerabilities regardless of your automatic-update preference. An update arriving after you clear the setting does not necessarily mean the setting failed.
You can instead stop automatic updates for every Google Play app. From your profile picture, open Settings > Network Preferences > Auto-update apps, then select Don’t auto-update apps. This affects Chrome and your other Play-managed apps; select another update option when you want automatic updates to resume.
Manual updates remain available after you turn automatic updates off. Open the Google Play Store, tap your profile picture, and select Manage apps & device. Under Updates available, find Chrome and tap Update.
Turn off automatic app updates on iPhone or iPad
On iPhone and iPad, the consumer control covers all App Store apps, including Chrome. Open Settings > Apps > App Store, then turn off App Updates. Apple does not provide a corresponding per-Chrome consumer toggle.
You can still install Chrome updates manually with automatic updates disabled. Open the App Store, tap My Account or your account photo, and select App Updates. Tap Update beside Chrome, or choose Update All to update every listed app.
To restore automatic updates, return to Settings > Apps > App Store and turn on App Updates. If your goal is to reduce mobile-data use, you can keep automatic updates enabled and restrict their download connection instead.
Limit update downloads on mobile data
For Android, open the Google Play Store, tap your profile picture, then select Settings > Network Preferences > Auto-update apps. Choose Update over Wi-Fi only to keep routine automatic app updates off mobile data. Chrome’s individual Enable auto update setting must also be selected for it to update automatically.
To allow updates on either connection, choose Update all apps over Wi-Fi or mobile data. Some users also have the option Update with limited amount of mobile data. That option limits mobile-data use without switching Chrome updates off.
On an iPhone or cellular-capable iPad, open Settings > Apps > App Store and turn off Cellular Data. This prevents the App Store from using the cellular connection while leaving Wi-Fi downloads available.
For a particular Wi-Fi connection, open Settings > Wi-Fi, tap Info beside the connected network, and turn on Low Data Mode. This pauses App Store automatic updates and downloads on that connection. Turn the setting off when you want those activities to resume.
On LTE or 4G, open Settings > Cellular > Cellular Data Options and turn on Low Data Mode. For 5G, continue from Cellular Data Options to Data Mode, then select Low Data Mode. These restrictions apply to the selected connection and affect more than Chrome.
Hold Chrome updates on Linux
Linux Chrome updates are installed through your package manager, so use the command that matches your system. These commands apply to Google’s installed Stable package, google-chrome-stable. A hold or lock controls the relevant package manager; a direct installer or another updater can remain a separate update route.
On an APT-based system such as Ubuntu or Debian, you can hold Chrome’s installed package to prevent APT upgrades. Open a terminal and run this command.
sudo apt-mark hold google-chrome-stableRemove the hold when you want Chrome package upgrades to resume. Run this command, then use your package manager to update Chrome.
sudo apt-mark unhold google-chrome-stableFor a DNF5 installation with the versionlock command available, add a Chrome version lock with the command below. Afterward, you can inspect the locks by running dnf5 versionlock list.
sudo dnf5 versionlock add google-chrome-stableThe version lock applies to DNF5 transactions. To allow Chrome upgrades through DNF5 again, delete its lock with this command.
sudo dnf5 versionlock delete google-chrome-stableOn openSUSE with Zypper, use the following command to lock Chrome’s package. Afterward, run zypper locks to view the current locks.
sudo zypper addlock google-chrome-stableZYpp-based applications use these package locks. When you are ready to allow Chrome updates again, remove its lock with this command.
sudo zypper removelock google-chrome-stableGNOME Software versions 49 through 51 also offer an automatic-update preference when the package backend manages your Chrome installation. Open Software, open the main menu, and choose Preferences > Software Updates > Manual. Choose Automatic to resume automatic checking and downloading. If updates continue, check which service is installing them, because other update services have independent settings.
Manage Chrome updates on a Chromebook
On a Chromebook, Chrome updates with ChromeOS. Select the time, open Settings, then choose About ChromeOS > Check for updates. To finish a pending installation, select Restart in the Update device notification.
You can defer that restart, but doing so does not disable update downloading. Changing between the Stable, Beta, and Dev channels changes the release cadence and continues automatic updating. Returning to a more stable channel can require a Powerwash, so changing channels does not provide an update-off option.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can keyboard shortcuts turn off automatic Chrome updates?
No supported consumer shortcut turns automatic Chrome updates off. On Windows and Linux, press Alt + f, then x to quit Chrome; on Mac, press Command + q. These shortcuts quit the browser without changing its update preferences.
Does uninstalling updates or disabling Chrome on Android stop future updates?
Uninstalling updates rolls a preinstalled app back and can erase app data; it does not set an ongoing update preference. Disabling Chrome disables or hides the app, but Google does not guarantee that this freezes Play Store updates. Use Chrome’s Google Play auto-update setting to control routine automatic updates.
Can Low Power Mode pause Chrome updates on an iPhone?
Apple says Low Power Mode pauses automatic downloads, but it is not a permanent Chrome-specific update block. On iPhone 15 and later, open Settings > Battery > Power Mode > Low Power Mode; on iPhone 14 and earlier, open Settings > Battery > Low Power Mode. You can also ask Siri to turn it on or off.
Is there an official Chrome version without automatic updates?
Chrome for Testing is Google’s separate desktop variant without automatic updating, intended for development and testing. You replace its files manually when you want another version. Using it does not turn off updates in your existing regular Chrome installation.
How do you enable automatic Chrome updates for all Mac users?
Install Chrome in Applications, then open About Google Chrome. Select Automatically update Chrome for all users when that option appears. This enables updates across users rather than providing an update-off setting.