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Help Disable the OTA notification?

jackroo

Android Enthusiast
Aug 5, 2012
716
159
After Googling and searching on here, I wanted to ask if there is any possible way to stop the OTA notification on my fiance's S3? Her phone isn't rooted. It's stock and it's fine the way it is. My brother took 4.3 and is having issues. Is it safe to update (no glitches and stuff) or can she stay on 4.1.2?
 
She can stay on 4.1.2. lot of people have been using it for a long time, and it works.

4.3 seems to have been a bug, bit an update. I've been hearing things here today that Samsung has issued an update to the update that's supposed to fix the problems. Stay tuned for a week. She may want to update if the bugs are worked out and she likes some of the new features. (One of them, though, is that you can never go back,m so that's something to consider.)
 
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The only way to make the constant notifications go away is by having the phone rooted. Then there is a guide to disabling it somewhere around here. Unfortunately for unrooted users, From what I've heard It's impossible to make the constant notification from popping up.

I see why they have it set up to pop up what seems like every time you turn the phone on, However I think even once a day would of sufficed. From their standpoint I guess it's worked as I've seen many people update just to make the notification go away.
 
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I understand. It's just been constant all day today and the phone is just fine on 4.1.2. I don't think anyone should be forced to take an update if they don't want to. She also doesn't want her phone rooted. I have mine rooted so I don't have to worry about popups and such but I don't want her phone to keep nagging.

If she does ultimately take the update and something does go wrong and she's experiencing bugs, glitches etc is there any we can do to contact Sprint or Samsung? We're dependent on our phones for work.

Thanks for the info though. I didn't think there was a way around the notifications but it doesn't hurt to ask here.
 
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I understand. It's just been constant all day today and the phone is just fine on 4.1.2. I don't think anyone should be forced to take an update if they don't want to. She also doesn't want her phone rooted. I have mine rooted so I don't have to worry about popups and such but I don't want her phone to keep nagging.

If she does ultimately take the update and something does go wrong and she's experiencing bugs, glitches etc is there any we can do to contact Sprint or Samsung? We're dependent on our phones for work.

Thanks for the info though. I didn't think there was a way around the notifications but it doesn't hurt to ask here.

1. Pull down the notification bar.
2. Long press the notification until a box appears.
3. Hit the box that says,
 
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1. Pull down the notification bar.
2. Long press the notification until a box appears.
3. Hit the box that says, “App Info.”
4. Uncheck the box for “Show Notifications.”
5. You can re-enable notifications by re-checking the box.

That stops the notification from being in the tray but the pop up will still happen on occasion. You could also try disabling the system update app, but that will break the ability to update profile and prl so she could have problems like ending up with no data or sms after a reboot if the profile wants to update. But since she doesn't want her phone rooted there isn't much you can do about it.

Here is the right way to do it, with root, by editing your build.prop. You will have to adjust the build number to match your carrier's 4.3 build since this is for Boost and Virgin Mobile. They use Sprint so you should be able to figure it out they're pretty similar. Heck the Boost one may even work. What this does is tell the network your phone is already up to date so it stops bothering you.

http://androidforums.com/boost-mobi...260-how-stop-4-3-mk5-update-notification.html
 
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That stops the notification from being in the tray but the pop up will still happen on occasion. You could also try disabling the system update app, but that will break the ability to update profile and prl so she could have problems like ending up with no data or sms after a reboot if the profile wants to update. But since she doesn't want her phone rooted there isn't much you can do about it.

Here is the right way to do it, with root, by editing your build.prop. You will have to adjust the build number to match your carrier's 4.3 build since this is for Boost and Virgin Mobile. They use Sprint so you should be able to figure it out they're pretty similar. Heck the Boost one may even work. What this does is tell the network your phone is already up to date so it stops bothering you.

http://androidforums.com/boost-mobi...260-how-stop-4-3-mk5-update-notification.html


I appreciate the advice but, like you said, rooting isn't something I want to do with her phone so we've been stuck with the constant popups. I contacted Sprint and they're no help. They told me it won't go away until she takes the update.
 
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That stops the notification from being in the tray but the pop up will still happen on occasion. You could also try disabling the system update app, but that will break the ability to update profile and prl so she could have problems like ending up with no data or sms after a reboot if the profile wants to update. But since she doesn't want her phone rooted there isn't much you can do about it.

Here is the right way to do it, with root, by editing your build.prop. You will have to adjust the build number to match your carrier's 4.3 build since this is for Boost and Virgin Mobile. They use Sprint so you should be able to figure it out they're pretty similar. Heck the Boost one may even work. What this does is tell the network your phone is already up to date so it stops bothering you.

http://androidforums.com/boost-mobi...260-how-stop-4-3-mk5-update-notification.html


Good guide as usual....for those who dont know Mydian is a respected and very helpful member... i know this from tu ultra forum was always one to help out when needed!!!!! Much respect bro!!
 
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Thats crap man :( i dont remember ever being nagged like that to take an update on an unrooted phone. Maybe its a US carrier thing(?)


When I say nagged I mean she probably gets no less than 50 pop ups for the past two days for installing 4.3. Funky do you know if 4.3 is officially safe to take? My US carrier offered no help and no reassurance that the update is okay and offer no back up plan if it messes up my fiance's phone. Sounds like over in Europe the carriers aren't as bad?
 
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If you're talking about the OTA notification of the 4.3 update, this might work to stop that from popping up.

By the way, I took the 4.3 update and have not had any problems at all. In fact the screen transitions seems smoother. The settings area and task bar have changed for the better. And now I can turn off the camera click sound just by lowering the volume to vibrate or mute. Finally! My GS3 is the US Sprint version, model SPH-L710, build MK3, never rooted.

Anyway, when I had my Galaxy S2, I keep getting OTA notifications of the ICS update and I wanted to stay on Gingerbread because of problems I had read about the ICS update. I wanted to stop these notifications because I didn't want to accidentally press update.

I read this somewhere else and this is how I turned off that notification.

I just waited until I received the notification again, pressed "more info", then removed the battery. I waited about one minute and replaced the battery and turned my phone back on. The Ice Cream Sandwich OTA notification never came back UNLESS I manually checked for updates. Then it would come back and I would have to repeat the same procedure, but it ALWAYS worked.

I don't know if this will work for the Galaxy S3 but it won't hurt to try. Just wait until the OTA notification comes back, press "more info", then remove the battery. If "more info" is not a choice, just pull the battery after the notification pops up. Put the battery back in, restart the phone and see if it stays away.

But like I said, I haven't seen any issues with the 4.3 update.
 
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If you're talking about the OTA notification of the 4.3 update, this might work to stop that from popping up.

By the way, I took the 4.3 update and have not had any problems at all. In fact the screen transitions seems smoother. The settings area and task bar have changed for the better. And now I can turn off the camera click sound just by lowering the volume to vibrate or mute. Finally! My GS3 is the US Sprint version, model SPH-L710, build MK3, never rooted.

Anyway, when I had my Galaxy S2, I keep getting OTA notifications of the ICS update and I wanted to stay on Gingerbread because of problems I had read about the ICS update. I wanted to stop these notifications because I didn't want to accidentally press update.

I read this somewhere else and this is how I turned off that notification.

I just waited until I received the notification again, pressed "more info", then removed the battery. I waited about one minute and replaced the battery and turned my phone back on. The Ice Cream Sandwich OTA notification never came back UNLESS I manually checked for updates. Then it would come back and I would have to repeat the same procedure, but it ALWAYS worked.

I don't know if this will work for the Galaxy S3 but it won't hurt to try. Just wait until the OTA notification comes back, press "more info", then remove the battery. If "more info" is not a choice, just pull the battery after the notification pops up. Put the battery back in, restart the phone and see if it stays away.

But like I said, I haven't seen any issues with the 4.3 update.


I appreciate that info! Definitely worth a try! While I'm on here does anyone know if taking an OTA on a stock rooted device would cause damage? I'm stock rooted but not considering updating. Just curious. That's all. Thanks again!
 
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I just waited until I received the notification again, pressed "more info", then removed the battery. I waited about one minute and replaced the battery and turned my phone back on. The Ice Cream Sandwich OTA notification never came back UNLESS I manually checked for updates. Then it would come back and I would have to repeat the same procedure, but it ALWAYS worked.

This sounded a bit whacky to me to be honest, no offence. But I used your idea and tried something simple:

[Please note, my I9300, the phone I'm working on in this reply) is already updated to Android 4.3, I've overcome any wireless issues I had (from memory - that was the main issue with 4.3 wasn't it?) but I can still choose the apps I put at the bottom of my home screen so I'm not limited to only being allowed to have Phone, Contacts and Messages there and I still don't have to press two extra buttons before moving shortcuts on my home screen, which are the reasons I don't want this update. You see, I believe this is a post-update to 4.3 that I unwittingly allowed on my GT-I9305 because after it I could no longer choose the Apps I put down the bottom of the home screen and I had to press two extra buttons to move shortcuts. I am also assuming it is the same update for the GT-I9305 and the GT-I9300 which is why I am desperately trying to avoid accidentally downloading and installing the update on my old I9300, which I'm actually thinking of going back to despite the cracked screen. I mean, no FM Radio because of something to do with the antenna in the 4G I9305? That's a serious retardation in the evolution of the Galaxy S line if you ask me. Then there's the newly apparent dysfunctional relationship between my I9305's bluetooth, audio jack and external speaker. And seriously; don't get me started on all the beeps and noises these phones make when all the volume sliders are turned down, which can only be resolved by a very cryptic, overly lateral analysis of the settings, downloading a myriad of apps each one resolving one problem at a time and, heh, rooting the phones, as if they're not 'rooted' enough already (Australian slang for f@#$ed) :p Most likely a combination of the three. I highly doubt my next phone will be a Samsung. Cracks appear on these screens faster than that crack that appears when your plumber's bent over trying to fix your kitchen sink. But I digress! I think the two peeves related to the homescreen are only relevant to Australian consumers using the International version of the phone - apparently the result of a deal made between Samsung and Telstra - though I am hoping this is a universal fix to the main problem - the update automation dilemma].

STEP 1 (just don't get excited coz I don't know the results yet)
I long-pressed the Notification and clicked on App Info, then I just went ahead and cleared Cache in which there was 8.00KB of information (could it be the Update.zip file that you can't find unless you root your device? I guess it would be about half a GB for 4.3 from what I'm reading wouldn't it?) Then I cleared 228KB of Data (or is that the Update.zip file?). Show notifications is ticked and greyed out so you can't change that. I went ahead and clicked Force Stop and clicked Ok.

STEP 2
I went to Settings>More...>About Device and clicked on Software Update again. I already had Auto Update unchecked but I went ahead and clicked Check For Updates. An update was downloaded as evidenced in the Notification Tray just like the first time it downloaded against my wishes after a hard reset and going through the phone setup procedure.

STEP 3
I long-pressed the Notification, scrolled down and clicked Later and I was asked if I wanted to postpone the Update for 30mins, 1 hour or 3 hours (I'm in Australia). I pressed 30mins and Ok.

STEP 4
I repeated STEP 1 and now I'm waiting to see if in half an hour that notification pops up again. We shall see...

I am guessing that since another update downloaded, the cache I cleared was the original download. Since I have Auto Update unchecked in the Software Update options, I'm thinking that I may not be asked to download OR install the update again until I manually Check For Updates again, which I plan on never doing.

It seems to occasionally take pulling an all-nighter, googling answers to my problem, lots of reading and then some extreme lateral thinking to actually give the system a chance to do what it's supposed to do using its natural (unlimited) functions, sub-functions, menus and sub-menus, long-presses, short-presses, checks and unchecks etc. to maybe perhaps find a simple answer that makes Samsung customer service representatives look galactically stupid.

...

Some good news - after 30 minutes nothing happened. The notification did not return and I wasn't asked to download or install anything.

...

Some bad news - I just powered my phone off and on and the update was automatically downloaded again and I was asked to install it and I have deleted my "Here's to a promising future...one can only hope" line that I intended to close with.

STEP 5
I went ahead and repeated STEP 1 and selected 30 minutes again. I'm satisfied that I won't have this problem until my battery dies or I restart the phone again. That's as good as I'm going to get right now. for an unrooted phone. So if anyone would like to turn their attention to how to prevent the automatic download from occurring straight after powering up, I would be most grateful.

Patiently yours,
Suff2Say

...

AAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!
 
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The easiest way to block an update is to edit the build.prop to fool your carrier into thinking you already have the new version. Your phone does have to be rooted.

As far as not being able to change the icons on the bottom of the home screen you should just install a better launcher. The default Samsung Touchwiz launcher sucks. I use Nova Launcher but there are many others. All of them being far superior when it comes to customization. You don't need to root your phone, it's just an app.
 
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The easiest way to block an update is to edit the build.prop to fool your carrier into thinking you already have the new version. Your phone does have to be rooted.

As far as not being able to change the icons on the bottom of the home screen you should just install a better launcher. The default Samsung Touchwiz launcher sucks. I use Nova Launcher but there are many others. All of them being far superior when it comes to customization. You don't need to root your phone, it's just an app.

Yea I read that somewhere last night as well. I'm considering doing it. I tried Go Launcher years ago, it was real slow but it would be fair to assume they've come a long way since then.

How about all those sounds? You've got the volume button beep, the docked beep, the fully charged beep and I'm sure there are a couple of others.
 
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