Keeping the apps on your smartphone updated is critical for security and performance. To make this process seamless, the Google Play Store on Android is configured to silently download and install app updates in the background. However, if your phone is not connected to a Wi-Fi network, it may resort to downloading these massive gigabyte-sized updates over your cellular data connection.
If you have a strict, metered data plan with your mobile carrier (or if you are roaming internationally where data costs are exorbitant), a single background update for a large game like Genshin Impact or Call of Duty Mobile could instantly devour your entire monthly data cap and result in massive overage charges.
To protect your data plan, you must configure the Google Play Store to only update over Wi-Fi.
How to Restrict Updates to Wi-Fi Only
You can change the global auto-update network preference directly within the Play Store settings.
- Open the Google Play Store app on your Android smartphone.
- Tap your Profile Picture in the top right corner of the screen.
- Tap on Settings from the drop-down menu.
- Tap on Network preferences to expand that section.
- Tap on Auto-update apps.
- A small pop-up window will appear with three options:
- Over any network (Data charges may apply)
- Over Wi-Fi only
- Don’t auto-update apps
- Select Over Wi-Fi only.
- Tap OK.
Once this is set, your phone will patiently wait until you arrive at home or the office and connect to a trusted Wi-Fi router before it begins pulling down large application updates, ensuring your 4G/5G data allowance is never touched by background maintenance tasks.