Windows 11 users can no longer skip app updates from the Microsoft Store

Microsoft has changed the update policy in the Microsoft Store for Windows 10 and Windows 11 users, removing the ability to completely disable automatic updates for applications. Now users are only allowed to temporarily postpone them for a period of one to five weeks.

The change applies only to applications downloaded directly from the Microsoft Store. Third-party developers can still support their own update mechanisms that are not connected to the company’s store.

A new Microsoft Store message, quoted by Windows Central, states: “You can pause automatic updates for a certain period of time“. At the same time, no official Microsoft Store changelog mentions the innovation yet.

How Microsoft Store applications were updated before

Previously, users could independently control this process by completely disabling automatic updates, and if necessary, checking for new versions manually. Now, when you try to disable the feature, the system warns that such an option is not available.

The author of the publication Zach Bowden noted that the loss of the ability to completely disable auto-updates can be annoying, especially for those who deliberately stay on a certain version of the program because of specific settings or features that are no longer available in new versions.

Despite the security arguments, this restriction can cause inconvenience for some users. In particular, such situations can be problematic during power outages or when working on mobile Internet, when updates are downloaded at an inopportune moment. In some cases, users may have practical reasons to stay on an older version of the program, for example, because of the presence of useful features that are removed in new releases.