When you install a fresh copy of Ubuntu, the built-in “Ubuntu Software” (or GNOME Software) application is configured to automatically download application updates in the background. While this ensures your Snap packages and system tools are always up to date, it can be a massive problem if you are on a metered internet connection, a mobile hotspot, or simply have very slow Wi-Fi.
If you notice your internet suddenly slowing to a crawl while using Ubuntu, it is likely that the Software center is silently downloading gigabytes of updates without your permission. You can easily configure the system to notify you of updates instead of automatically downloading them.
How to Stop Automatic Background Downloads in Ubuntu
You can turn off automatic background downloads directly from the graphical GNOME Software interface.
- Press the Super (Windows) key on your keyboard and search for Ubuntu Software or App Center, and open the application.
- In the top-right corner of the application window, click the three horizontal lines (the hamburger menu icon).
- Select Update Preferences (or simply “Preferences”) from the drop-down menu.
- A small dialogue box will appear with a section titled “Automatic Updates.”
- By default, the toggle switch for “Automatic Updates” is turned On. Click it to turn it Off.
With this setting disabled, Ubuntu will no longer hijack your network bandwidth to download large software packages in the background. Instead, when updates are available, you will receive a standard desktop notification, allowing you to manually start the download process at a time that is convenient for you.