Microsoft just slipped in a new rule for how app updates work in the Microsoft Store that’s bound to frustrate users – you can’t turn off automatic app updates anymore.
Previously both Windows 10 and Windows 11 let you flip a simple switch to disable and block automatic updates for apps from the Microsoft Store. That switch is now gone. In its place, Microsoft has added a dropdown menu that lets you pause updates from one to five weeks.
It’s a strange change and one that hasn’t been logged anywhere by Microsoft. This means that if you don’t want Microsoft to keep updating apps that you’ve downloaded from the Microsoft Store , you’re out of luck – they will eventually be updated.
Sure, you can argue it keeps everyone on safer, more stable versions, which better for security. But it removes flexibility and kills any real control for folks who want to decide when – or if – their apps get updated, especially if they rely on older versions for compatibility purposes.
This shift reflects how Microsoft keeps tightening its grip on software and forcing users to adopt things like Copilot. And given the whole point about having a computer is having complete agency, these changes aren’t going to go down well.
