Hidden problems in automatic updates from Google Play

Enabling automatic updates from Google Play may not always be the best choice as it can conceal underlying issues that you might not be aware of at the time. As such, it’s important to understand the reasons why it may not be convenient to activate them or when they are not advisable.

While it’s important to keep your applications updated to benefit from new features and security enhancements, there are actually more reasons than you might initially think to avoid using Google Play’s automatic updates.

google play automatic update

Your mobile data could be eaten

If you have a data plan with limited data usage, you may be concerned about using up your data allowance. This can result in slower browsing speeds or extra charges for additional data usage. However, you can prevent this by ensuring that automatic app updates only occur over Wi-Fi. Alternatively, you can disable automatic updates altogether and update your apps manually whenever you prefer.

To disable automatic updates on any network, follow these steps:

  1. Open Google Play
  2. Go to the settings from your image or name, at the top right of the page
  3. Click on the Network Preferences option
  4. Switch to Wi-Fi only or Don’t update apps automatically

automatic-updates-change

They can create conflicts and app crashes

Updating all the applications that have an update available can lead to conflicts, such as the incompatibility of certain apps with your operating system or the occurrence of optimization issues. Some updated apps may also cause conflicts with others, present significant issues, or mask viruses that can be harmful to your device. Consequently, the apps may not work correctly, negatively impacting the performance of your smartphone or other apps.

crashing apps

To avoid any negative impact on the performance of your phone, it is recommended that you uninstall any unused applications. Moreover, disabling automatic updates can prevent any potential issues that may arise from updating apps. By doing so, you can assess whether the new version of an app causes any problems before downloading it.

Your memory will ‘fly’

Enabling automatic updates may result in the installation of new applications on your mobile device, which will be updated every time a new version becomes available. This can cause you to lose track of the applications you have installed, and as a result, you may not be aware of how much space they are occupying on your device. Over time, the continuous updating of these apps can cause your phone’s memory to become full without you even realizing it.

Expand mobile memory

Having a smartphone with a large storage capacity or an expandable memory card can alleviate memory issues, but it’s still best to manually manage the apps and updates to keep track of what’s taking up space.

This way, you can prevent your phone from slowing down or running out of storage space, which can prevent you from downloading new apps or storing important files. By staying in control and regularly monitoring your phone’s storage usage, you can quickly remove unnecessary apps and files before they become a problem.