How to Disable Google Chrome Updates

Automatic updates in Google Chrome can sometimes be inconvenient, especially if they happen at inopportune times or bring changes to the interface and features that you weren’t expecting. If you want to manage updates manually, there are several ways to disable them. Here, we’ll go through the main methods.

1. Disabling Updates via System Settings

Google Chrome does not offer a built-in option to disable updates directly within the browser. However, both Windows and macOS offer ways to do this through system settings or adjustments.

For Windows:

  1. Open Windows Services by pressing Win + R, typing services.msc, and hitting Enter.
  2. Find the services named Google Update Service (gupdate) and Google Update Service (gupdatem).
  3. Right-click each service, select Properties, and set the startup type to Disabled.

For macOS:

  1. Open the Terminal application.
  2. Enter the command sudo /Library/Google/GoogleSoftwareUpdate/GoogleSoftwareUpdate.bundle/Contents/Resources/ksinstall --noupdate and press Enter.
  3. Enter your administrator password and press Enter to confirm.

2. Using the Registry Editor (Windows Only)

If you’re using Windows, another way to disable updates is through the Registry Editor. Be cautious, as changes to the registry can affect system performance.

  1. Press Win + R, type regedit, and press Enter to open the Registry Editor.
  2. Navigate to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Google\Update. If this folder doesn’t exist, create it.
  3. Create a new DWORD (32-bit) value named AutoUpdateCheckPeriodMinutes and set it to 0.

3. Disabling Updates via Google Chrome Settings (Enterprise Versions Only)

In enterprise versions of Chrome, you can configure update policies through Google Admin Console or other management systems. However, this method is only available for administrators.

Important Notes

Disabling automatic updates can expose you to security risks, as you won’t receive critical updates that address vulnerabilities. It’s recommended to check for updates manually from time to time to maintain system security.

If you need to re-enable automatic updates, simply follow the same steps, changing the settings back to Enabled or restoring the registry value to its original state.