Microsoft limits control over app updates in Windows 11 — users can only pause for 5 weeks | Windows Central

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Microsoft has quietly removed the ability to top apps from the Microsoft Store from automatically updating on Windows 11 and Windows 10. In the last couple of months, users have noticed that the Microsoft Store's option to turn off automatic app updates now prompts the user to pause them for up to 5 weeks instead.

In the past, the toggle to turn off automatic app updates did just that. It would turn off the Microsoft Store's ability to automatically update installed apps, leaving the ability to check for updates and install them entirely up to the user. Now, when turning off the automatic app updates toggle, the user is presented with a drop down that only allows you to pause it between 1 and 5 weeks.

"You may pause automatic updates for a period of time" says the Microsoft Store. Curiously, no changelog for the Microsoft Store's recent updates mentions this change in behavior.

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This is the prompt you'll see when you try to turn off automatic app updates. (Image credit: Windows Central)

This means that if you don't want the Microsoft Store to automatically update your apps, you can no longer stop it from doing so forever. At some point, the Microsoft Store will ensure all your installed apps are up to date. This is the same way Windows Update works, where you can pause it for a number of weeks, but never outright turn it off. Eventually, it will install the latest updates. Now the Microsoft Store will do the same.

Of course, this change only applies to apps that you've acquired from the Microsoft Store. Apps downloaded from outside the Microsoft Store won't be impacted by this change, and will continue to rely on their independent update systems.

In recent months, the Microsoft Store has really come into its own. I called it "actually great now" in a recent editorial, and I stand by that claim. In regards to catalog and app availability, pretty much all of the apps I'd want to install on Windows are available in there. The ability to update all my apps in one place is also great, and works well now.

Unfortunately, the ability to outright disable automatic app updates is a little annoying, especially if you're using a particular version of an app that you don't want to move away from. On the flipside, it's good for security as it means you'll always be using the latest, most secure version of an app available.

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Thanks for the tip, Jameson!

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