How to completely disable auto updates on Xiaomi devices: 5 proven ways

Automatic updates on Xiaomi devices are a double-edged sword, ensuring security, new features and bug fixes are up to date, and can interrupt movie viewing, eat up traffic, or even disrupt hardware when a firmware fails, especially on Mi TVs and Redmi Smart TVs, where forced-updates sometimes block access to favorite apps or change the interface without warning.

In this article, we’ll look at all the ways you can disable auto updates, from standard settings to hidden commands for power users. It’s important to understand that smartphones (MIUI) and TVs (PatchWall/Google TV) have different algorithms, so the instructions will be separated, and you’ll learn which updates can be blocked without risk to the system, and which ones are better left on.

Warning: Some methods require a superuser’s rights (root) or a rollback to an old firmware – this can deprive you of warranty. If you are not ready for experiments, use only the white methods in the first two sections.

1. disable auto updates on Xiaomi TVs (Mi TV / Redmi TV)

Xiaomi's PatchWall or Google TV TVs are being updated more aggressively than smartphones, and the manufacturer often forcibly installs new versions of the software, which can lead to:

📉 Loss of performance on weak models (e.g. Mi TV 4A 32)
🔄 Changes to App Location and Settings
🚫 Blocking third-party launchers (such as ATV Launcher)
📶 Unexpected mobile traffic consumption (if TV is connected via USB- modem)

To disable automatic updates, follow the following steps:

Open Settings → About TV → Update system.
Press three points (⋮) in the upper right corner and select Update Settings.
Transfer the slider Automatic update to the position Off.
Uncheck the box from Download updates automatically via Wi-Fi.

⚠️ Warning: On some models (e.g., 2023 Mi TV Q1E), after auto updates are disabled, the system may still show a notification of a new firmware. To remove it, you will have to use ADB- commands (Section 4).

If you don't have Update Settings on your menu, you're running the old PatchWall version.

Go to Settings → Applications → System applications.
Find the Updater and open it.
Click Disable (if the button is active) or Remove Updates.

📊 What kind of Xiaomi TV model do you use?

Mi TV 4A/4S

Mi TV Q1/Q2

Redmi Smart TV X

Another Xiaomi model

Not Xiaomi.

2. disable auto updates on Xiaomi smartphones (MIUI)

On Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones with MIUI shells, the update algorithm is more flexible but also more confusing.

🔄 Stable versions (recommended by most users)
🧪 Beta versions (for testers, often contain bugs)
🛡️ Security Updates (Critical Patches)

By default, MIUI downloads and installs all types of updates automatically.

Open Settings → About the phone → Update MIUI.
Slap the icon. ⚙️ (gear) in upper right corner.
Select the Update Settings.
Turn off options: 🔄 Auto boot over Wi-Fi 📶 Auto boot over mobile 🔔 Notifications for new updates

Type of update

Stable version

On MIUI 14 and later, Intelligent Update has been introduced, which analyzes your behavior and installs firmware at a “convenient” time (for example, at night), and turn it off, otherwise the system may reboot your phone at the most inopportune time.

Check the battery charge (minimum 50%|Make a backup copy of the data|Connect to a stable Wi-Fi|Close all background applications-->

3. Block updates through background restriction (no root)

If standard settings don’t work, you can go for a trick: limit the system application Updater (MIUI Update), which works on all Xiaomi devices, but requires caution.

Instructions for smartphones:

Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
In search, type the MIUI Update (or Updater on global firmware).
Open the application and select Battery → Background Limitation.
Install Restricted (some versions of MIUI call this option Do Not Allow).
Go back and press Notifications → turn off all switches.

For Xiaomi TVs, the algorithm is similar, but the path is different:

Settings → Applications → System applications.
Find the System Updater (System Updater).
Choose to limit background activity.
Turn off Auto Start and Show notifications.

Next, run on the command line (CMD or Terminal):

adb shell


pm disable-user --user 0 com.android.updater

For Xiaomi TVs, the team is a bit different:

adb shell


pm disable-user --user 0 com.mitv.tvupdate

Method 2: Recoil on the old firmware

If the update is already installed and causes problems, you can go back to the previous version.

Download the necessary firmware from the official Xiaomi website (choose Stable for the stable version).
Rename the file to update.zip and place it in the root of internal memory.
Go to Settings → About Phone → Update MIUI → click on three dots (⋮) → Select a firmware file.
Confirm the installation and wait for the reboot.

What happens if you interrupt the firmware rollback?

If you interrupt the rollback process (for example, pulling out the battery or turning off the power), the device can hang on the MI logo or go to the bootloop. In this case, only firmware through Fastboot or EDL- mode using the Mi Flash Tool. On TVs, an interrupted rollback often leads to a “brick” – a black screen without responding to the remote.

Locking method	Difficulty	Need root?	The risk of bricks	Efficiency
Standard settings	⭐	❌ No.	❌ No.	⚠️ Medium
Background restriction	⭐⭐	❌ No.	❌ No.	✅ Tall.
ADB-team	⭐⭐⭐	❌ No.	⚠️ Low.	✅✅ Very high.
Firmware rollback	⭐⭐⭐⭐	❌ No.	⚠️⚠️ Medium.	✅✅✅ Complete.
Removing Updater via root	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	✅ Yes.	⚠️⚠️⚠️ High-pitched	✅✅✅ Complete.

5. How to disable updates to individual applications

In addition to system updates, Xiaomi often enforces updates to standard apps (Mi Video, Mi Browser, GetApps) that can be a problem if:

📱 The new version of the app is worse than the old version
🔒 Update removes the necessary features (for example, uploading video to Mi Video)
📶 App starts showing ads

To block updates for specific programs:

Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
Select the application you want (such as Mi Browser).
Press three points (⋮) In the upper corner and select Remove Updates.
Return to the main menu of the application and turn off Auto Update (if the item is available).

For TVs:

Go to Settings → Applications → All applications.
Find an app (like Netflix or Prime Video).
Select Remove Updates (if the button is active).
Turn off Automatic Update in the Google Play Market settings (if TV is on Google TV).

💡

If the app stopped working after removing the updates, try resetting it through Settings → Apps → [app name] → Storage → Clear the data.

On devices with Google Play Services (most global firmware), you can use another trick:

Open the Google Play Market.
Go to Profile → Settings → Network settings.
Select Auto-Update Applications → Do not update automatically.

6. Risks of disabling auto updates: what you lose

Before you block updates completely, you should understand what you are refusing.

🛡️ Security vulnerabilities: New versions of software close critical gaps. Without updates, your device becomes vulnerable to viruses and hacker attacks.
🔧 Unfixed bugs: The manufacturer regularly fixes bugs that may affect performance, autonomy, or stability.
📱 Newer Application Incompatibility: Over time, programs (e.g., banking or instant messengers) will no longer support older versions Android/MIUI.
🎮 Gaming and streaming issues: Services like Netflix, Disney+ or Google Stadia require current versions of DRM and codecs.

It is especially critical to ignore security updates on devices you use to:

💳 Payment via Google Pay or Mi Pay
🔐 Storage of passwords and personal data
📊 Work with corporate mail or documents

We recommend that you do not disable security updates (they usually weigh little and install quickly).

✅ Allow only critical updates to be installed.
✅ Set up notifications to see what is being updated.
✅ Check for feedback on new firmware on forums (e.g. 4PDA or XDA-Developers) before installing.

💡

Turn off only those updates that cause real inconvenience, for example, if a new TV firmware removes a favorite launcher or makes the interface uncomfortable, block it. But don't ignore security patches!

7.Alternative solutions: how to update manually and safely

If you don’t want to completely abandon updates, but are afraid of automatic installation, there are compromise options:

Method 1: Manually check for updates

Instead of turning off Updater completely, configure it to notify you of new versions, but not install them:

On Smartphone: Settings → About Phone → Update MIUI → ⚙️ → Notifications for new updates (leave on), but disable Autoboot.
On TV: Settings → About TV → System Update → Update Settings → leave only Check Updates manually.

Method 2: Use of custom firmware

If you are not satisfied with the policy of updates Xiaomi, you can switch to alternative firmware:

📱 For smartphones: LineageOS, Pixel Experience, Havoc-OS (requires unlocked bootloader).
📺 For TVs: AOSP- firmware (e.g., ATV Custom ROM), but their choice is extremely limited.

Method 3: Backup before Updating

Always back up before installing a new firmware. On smartphones:

adb backup -apk -obb -shared -all -f backup.ab

On TVs, use apps like Titanium Backup (requires root) or manually save settings through Settings → System → Backup.

Method 4: Deferred installation

If you are not sure about the new firmware, you can postpone its installation for a few days:

When the update notification appears, click Remind later.
Wait 3-5 days and check the feedback on the forums (for example, by the hashtag #MIUI [version] on Twitter).
If there are no mass complaints, install. If there are bugs, ignore the update.

FAQ: Frequent questions about Xiaomi auto updates

❓ Why does the TV still ask to update after the auto updates are turned off?

On some models (e.g. Mi TV P1 or Redmi Smart TV X2022), the manufacturer implements "intrusive" notifications that cannot be turned off via the standard menu. In this case, it will help: 🔧 Using ADB- commands (section 4). 📵 Shutting down the Internet for the Updater application via Settings → System Update → Mobile Data and Wi-Fi. If the notification appears on the lock screen, try resetting PatchWall to factory (PH0005) settings to Resets to the Settings of the Settings → Settings of the Settings → Settings of the Updaters → Settings → Settings → Settings → Settings.

❓ Can you turn off updates only for specific applications, like Mi Browser?

Yes, it is possible. For standard Xiaomi apps: Go to Settings → Apps → App Management. Find the right app (e.g. Mi Browser or Mi Video). Click Remove Updates (if the button is active). Disable Auto Update in the Google Play Market settings for this app. For TVs, the algorithm is similar, but the path may be different: Settings → Apps → All apps → [app name] → Remove Updates. If the Remove Update button is inactive, then the app is system and can only be disabled through ADB or root rights.

❓ What to do if the TV stops turning on after the update?

If the Xiaomi TV doesn’t turn on after the upgrade (black screen, flashing indicator or logo hover), try the following steps: Hard reset: Hold the power button on the remote or TV body for 10-15 seconds. Recover via USB: Download the firmware for your model from Xiaomi. Rename the file to update.zip and place it on a flash drive formatted in FAT32. Insert the flash drive into the TV, pin Menu + Volume Down on the remote and turn on the TV (hold the buttons 5-10 seconds). If nothing helps, the bootloader may have crashed, in which case only flashing through UART or EDL at the service center will help. ⚠️ Don't try to stitch the TV through the Fastboot without experience - this can lead to a complete failure!

❓ How do I know which firmware is installed on my Xiaomi device?

For smartphones: Go to Settings → About Phone. See the lines of MIUI Version and Android Version. For more information, click on the Kernel Version or Build Number several times. For TVs: Open Settings → About TV. Write down the PatchWall Version (or Google TV Version) and Build Number. For a TV model, look at the Model line (e.g., L32M7-ES).

❓ Can I roll back the firmware on Xiaomi without losing data?

Theoretically, yes, but in practice, it rarely works without consequences. When you roll back firmware: ✅ Store: Photos, videos, and music on internal memory (unless formatted /data). ❌ Reset: System settings, accounts, application data (e.g., save in games). To minimize losses: Backup through Settings → Additional → Backup and Reset → Local Backup. Copy important files (photos, documents) to your computer or cloud. Write logins/passwords from your account (you will have to manually recover the data from the application).