Imagine you are playing a competitive online multiplayer game. Suddenly, your “ping” spikes to 500ms, and your character freezes. You alt-tab out of the game, open the Task Manager, and discover that the Microsoft Store decided that right now is the perfect time to download a massive 2GB update for the Xbox app and the Calculator in the background.
By default, Windows 11 gives the Microsoft Store full permission to saturate your internet connection at any time to keep your apps updated. To protect your gaming latency and your bandwidth, you must safely disable this automated background syncing.
How to Safely Disable Windows 11 Store App Auto-Updates
You must turn off the automated updater directly from within the Microsoft Store application.
- Click the Start button.
- Type Microsoft Store and press Enter to launch the app.
- Look at the top-right corner of the Store window. Click on your Profile Picture (or the generic user icon if you don’t have a picture).
- From the drop-down menu, click on Settings.
- At the very top of the Settings page, look for the section labeled App updates.
- You will see a toggle switch labeled Update apps automatically.
- Toggle this switch to the Off position.
The Microsoft Store will immediately cease all background network activity. Your apps and games will no longer update on their own. When you are ready to update your software, you must open the Store, click the “Library” icon in the bottom-left corner, and manually click the “Get updates” button.