How To Stop Apps from Updating?

[ndh777]

I know it sounds strange, but I'm rooted and running a custom ROM on my Galaxy S3. In the ROM, there is a modified version of the Apex Launcher with some custom icons. My phone already automatically updated the launcher before and it removed all of the cool custom icons that were there. So I'd like to prevent that from happening again.

I have all of my apps set to automatically update on their own except Apex Launcher. When I rebooted my phone, it began trying to update Apex anyway, probably because restarting reset the settings and caused it to forget that I specifically don't want that app updated.

There's an option in Titanium Backup called "Detach from Market" or something to that effect and I tried doing it, but it didn't seem to detach from the Google Play Store. So I'm wondering if there's anything else that I could do to keep this app from updating if possible.

I was able to revert the changes because this app has been made into a system app by the dev who made this ROM so when you go into Settings>Applications and try to remove the app, it only says "Uninstall updates" rather than "Uninstall".

 

[Rxpert83]

In was going to suggest the titanium option.

Hmm

 

[ndh777]

In was going to suggest the titanium option.

Hmm

It's weird, huh? I thought that that would do the trick. But nope Hopefully someone here has another method or something.

 

[Hadron]

Play Store broke the detach from market. I don't let anything auto update, but that leaves the annoyance of apps I don't wish to update (because I think the updates are retrograde or add features/permissions I don't want) cluttering my updates list. So also interested in solutions.

 

[ndh777]

Play Store broke the detach from market. I don't let anything auto update, but that leaves the annoyance of apps I don't wish to update (because I think the updates are retrograde or add features/permissions I don't want) cluttering my updates list. So also interested in solutions.

Are you saying that when Google updated the Android Market to Google Play, that that option in Titanium no longer works?

I only allow it to auto-update because I get so tired of those annoying notifications, "1 NEW UPDATE FOR..." and then it turns out to be Angry Birds or something when it could've downloaded that for me and wouldn't have been a problem especially since I'm on Sprint and paying for unlimited data.

I realize that I could just disable auto-updates altogether, but I don't really want to if I can help it. I realize that I can just allow it to keep updating and just uninstall the updates after they're done or stop them while they are downloading but I'd rather avoid that. I realize that there are a few "solutions" but I'd just like it if the Play Store could just not even recognize the app at all or if they'd fix that button so it wouldn't update when I tell it not to.

 

[Petrah]

If you don't wish to see update notifications then untick the "Notifications" box in the Google Play Store settings.

For me personally, I always want my apps updated. I prefer to always have any security patches pushed to my phone for all of my apps should there be any. I just don't have time to check each one to see weather or not it's a security update, new feature, etc.

 

[Hadron]

Are you saying that when Google updated the Android Market to Google Play, that that option in Titanium no longer works?

Afraid so. Google changed the way the app list is handled, and it broke this feature of Ti. It's in the Ti changelog, though quite a few revisions in the past. I think it still works with the old Market, but it's been a while since I used that.

 

[Hadron]

@Petrah, my main issue is that updates are sometimes downgrades (e.g. Go apps adding bloat, or otherwise degrading functionality). So when I feel there's a major degrade I roll back (Titanium is really useful for this) and stop updating that app. I have 6 apps currently that are in this position (a few others I've removed altogether). Very rarely are the things I dislike reversed.

 

[ndh777]

If you don't wish to see update notifications then untick the "Notifications" box in the Google Play Store settings.

For me personally, I always want my apps updated. I prefer to always have any security patches pushed to my phone for all of my apps should there be any. I just don't have time to check each one to see weather or not it's a security update, new feature, etc.

Ah! Thanks. I haven't been back in the settings area of Google Play in a while, so I never saw that. I unchecked it. Thanks! Those get kind of annoying lol

I like having mine updated too, it's just that for this one particular app, Apex Launcher, I like the custom icons that TeamVenum put into it but the new update removes those custom icons, so I figured I'll take the outdated version over the new one just so I can keep my icons. I do like updates as I rarely have issues with new updates when they roll out. And being updated is something that I enjoy.

Afraid so. Google changed the way the app list is handled, and it broke this feature of Ti. It's in the Ti changelog, though quite a few revisions in the past. I think it still works with the old Market, but it's been a while since I used that.

Interesting. I should read those changelogs more. I kind of thought it might not work just seeing that they never updated the name from "Market" to "Play Store". How sad. Hopefully a fix comes to fix this issue.

 

[Petrah]

Perhaps you could explain to TeamVenum what's been happening (if it's happening to you, it's happening to others). They might consider offering up a separate icon pack app.

 

[Petrah]

@Petrah, my main issue is that updates are sometimes downgrades (e.g. Go apps adding bloat, or otherwise degrading functionality). So when I feel there's a major degrade I roll back (Titanium is really useful for this) and stop updating that app. I have 6 apps currently that are in this position (a few others I've removed altogether). Very rarely are the things I dislike reversed.

I totally understand! I did that with my previous phone merely because it just didn't have the space, which forced me to use different apps that did the same thing. It's extremely hard to move to another app when you've fell in-love with a certain one.

Off-topic warning:

Spoiler

I had really loved Go apps at one time, but the bloat just got to the point where I loathed using their apps. I hated uninstalling them and it took me forever to get use to other apps. I remember a long time ago when their apps were lightweight with solid options. Wish they would go back to how things were before, but I know it'll never happen.

 

[zuben el genub]

The other is some apps that use multi-languages. You don't need an update for a new Asian script if you don't use it. The other is "you can now share with FB" which I don't give a damn about.

A lot of apps don't give all the info in Play anyway. You have to either use the standard version of Play Store on the device, (if you can) or a computer to see what has been added before you update.

 

[ndh777]

I took your advice Petrah and contacted the ROM's dev and he replied back with a zip file for me to upload. Thank you very much. (Btw, congrats on going Guide )