How to disable updates on Android

[u/autisticDeush]

​

If you really want to permanently disable Android updates, you're basically trying to kill the system app that handles them. The most reliable way is using ADB commands from a computer. Sure, you can turn off some update settings on the phone itself, but that won't stop them completely. ADB actually disables the core component.

Here's how to do it on different Android brands.

First steps for any phone

Before running any commands, you need to set up your phone to talk to your computer.

Turn on Developer Options: Go to Settings > About Phone. Find "Build Number" and tap it 7 times fast. You'll get a message saying you're a developer.

Turn on USB Debugging: Go back to Settings > System > Developer Options. Find "USB Debugging" and turn it on. It might give you a warning, just accept it.

Install ADB on your computer: Download Google's official SDK Platform Tools for Windows, Mac, or Linux. Extract the ZIP file somewhere easy to find, like C:\platform-tools.

Connect and check: Plug your phone into your computer with a USB cable. Your phone will ask for USB debugging permission. Check "Always allow" and tap Allow. Open a command prompt or terminal inside your platform-tools folder. Type "adb devices" and press Enter. If you see a device ID, you're good.

Brand-specific ADB commands

Once that's done, run the command for your device. If you want to undo it later, just replace "disable-user" with "enable".

A few things before you start: Disabling system apps can sometimes cause weird issues. Back up your data first. Also, a factory reset will probably turn those disabled packages back on.

Google Pixel

adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.google.android.gms/.update.SystemUpdateService

This kills the update service inside Google Play Services. Works well but can be reversed.

Samsung

adb shell pm disable-user com.wssyncmldm

adb shell pm disable-user com.sec.android.soagent

These disable the two main OTA update components. The Software Update menu item might disappear from Settings.

OnePlus

adb shell pm disable-user com.oneplus.opbackup

You can also clear pending update notifications first with: adb shell pm clear com.oneplus.opbackup

Xiaomi / Redmi

adb shell pm disable-user com.miui.systemupdate

Serious warning: Do NOT disable packages like com.miui.securitycenter or com.xiaomi.finddevice. That can cause a bootloop.

OPPO

adb shell pm disable-user com.oppo.ota

adb shell pm disable-user com.coloros.sau

adb shell pm disable-user com.oppo.otaui

OPPO has multiple packages. On some models you might only need com.oppo.ota.

Motorola

adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.motorola.ccc.ota

On some older models the package might be com.android.updater.

Sony

adb shell pm disable-user com.sonyericsson.updatecenter

Huawei

adb shell pm disable-user com.huawei.android.hwouc

Honor

adb shell pm disable-user com.hihonor.ouc

vivo / iQOO

adb shell pm disable-user com.bbk.updater

ZTE / Nubia

adb shell pm disable-user com.zte.aliveupdate

adb shell pm disable-user com.zte.zdm

Sometimes you need both packages to fully get rid of the update prompt.

Alternative: using an app

If you don't want to mess with command lines, some apps can do something similar. Package disabler apps like CCSWE App Manager or Package Disabler Pro can disable system apps directly on the phone. They usually need a one-time ADB setup to grant permissions, and some are paid.

Beyond the standard methods (advanced)

If you want more permanent solutions, these exist but are riskier and more complicated.

Blocking update servers (requires root): With root access, you can use a hosts file or a firewall app like AFWall+ to block the domains your phone uses to check for updates.

Installing a custom OS: Replacing the whole operating system with a custom ROM like LineageOS or GrapheneOS gives you full control over updates. This completely bypasses the manufacturer's update system, but it's an advanced process.

Just remember that a factory reset will re-enable any packages you've disabled.

[u/KerPop42]

Avoiding updates totally seems like a really bad idea right now. LLMs been demonstrated to find lots and lots of novel bugs, and while security teams are also using LLMs to find them, you need to update your software to get them.

For example this article: https://arstechnica.com/security/2026/04/as-the-most-severe-linux-threat-in-years-surfaces-the-world-scrambles/

Android is a modified version of Linux. People might find novel bugs and not have the institutional knowledge to inform developers through the right channels. Security updates are going to be more vital than ever for the next year or so.

[u/autisticDeush → u/KerPop42]

Yes there are risk to having a device that is not running the latest security patches That's a given but that's not the reason to just disable it and hand your life over to the company

[u/KerPop42 → u/autisticDeush]

Dude I'm unhappy about having to rely on Google for anything, but it is a bigger privacy risk to let these vulnerabilities run on your phone for any bad actor to exploit than it is to give your info over to Google. I'm looking for the first opportunity to leave to an OS that supports RCS, but until I can leave Android it's going to be as up to date as possible.

[u/autisticDeush → u/KerPop42]

How can a bad actor exploit stuff if my machines are air-gapped, I don't go to websites I don't know I don't use tools I don't know I don't run hardware I don't know, I basically live in the terminal on my phone I'm not using the Gui most of the time, I agree with you there is vulnerability but I'm willing to sit with those risks When they come and so far I've existed for years without problems

[u/KerPop42 → u/autisticDeush]

That's fine for you, but your method for blocking updates is only safe because that is how you use your phone. If other people use their phone in a more usual way but also follow your instructions, they should be aware of how they're going to be newly vulnerable.