How to completely disable Play Market updates on Xiaomi Redmi: from background updates to system

Automatic app updates via the Google Play Market on Xiaomi Redmi smartphones can be a real headache: they eat up traffic, drain the battery and sometimes install unstable versions of the software. This is especially true for users with a limited Internet package or owners of older models of Redmi Note 8 Pro, Redmi 9A or POCO X3, where new versions of the applications work slower. Fortunately, there are several ways to turn off the updates of the Play Market – from standard settings to hidden MIUI features.

In this article, we will discuss all working methods: how to block auto-update individual applications, suspend background activity of Google Play Services, disable system updates through Settings → About the phone, and also consider radical measures for power users (including ADB and developer settings).

Why Play Market Updates Are Hiding Xiaomi Redmi

While automatic app updates seem convenient at first glance, in practice they often bring more problems than good, and here are the main reasons Xiaomi Redmi users want to get rid of them:

• 📉 Traffic consumption: Background updates can eat up to 500MB per month, even if you don’t use apps, especially critical for users with tariffs without unlimited internet.
• 🔋 Battery discharge: The com.google.android.gms (Google Play Services) process is constantly running in the background, reducing battery life by 10-15%.
• 🐢 System slowdown: Newer versions of apps are often optimized for the latest smartphone models. at Redmi 5/6/7 In the series, they can slow down or fly out.
• 🚫 Unwanted changes: Updates sometimes remove familiar features (like old YouTube design or Google Maps) or add intrusive ads.

In addition, on devices with custom firmware (for example, Xiaomi.EU or LineageOS), automatic updates of system applications can lead to conflicts and crashes. and on some Redmi models (for example, Redmi Note 10 Pro) Mi Pay or Mi Home stop working after the update of Google Play Services.

Method 1: Disabling Auto-Update for Individual Applications

The easiest and safest method is to block automatic updates for specific programs, which will not shut down the Play Market background activity completely, but will prevent unwanted updates of selected applications.

Instructions:

1. Open the Google Play Market.
2. Slip on the profile avatar in the upper right corner → App and device management.
3. Select the Manage tab → find the desired app (such as Facebook or Instagram).
4. Click on the three dots in the upper right corner → Turn off auto-update.

For mass blackout:

1. Go to Settings → Application Management.
2. Slip on three points → Auto-update applications.
3. Choose Do not update applications automatically.

Note that even after this, Google Play Services will update automatically, so you can block it, and then you can go to the next way.

Method 2: Limiting background activity of Google Play

If you need to completely disable background updates, but without drastic measures like disabling Google Play Services, you can limit its activity through the MIUI settings.This method is suitable for all Xiaomi Redmi models, including the Redmi Note 11, Redmi 10 and POCO F3.

Steps:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find the Google Play Market and tap it.
3. Select the Battery → Background Activity.
4. Set a Limit: Limit or Prohibit (depending on the MIUI version).
5. Repeat steps 3-4 for Google Play Services and Google Services Framework.

⚠️ Warning: Disabling Google Play Services completely will result in the inoperability of most Google apps (Gmail, Maps, YouTube) and some system features MIUI (Use this method only if you are prepared for the consequences.

Method 3: Disabling MIUI system updates

In addition to app updates, Xiaomi Redmi regularly receives system updates through Settings → About Phone → System Update. These too can be disabled, but this will require additional actions.

Standard method (without root rights):

1. Go to Settings → About the phone → System update.
2. Slip on three points in the upper right corner → Settings.
3. Turn off the option of Automatic download via Wi-Fi.
4. Also turn off Auto Update Installation (if any).

For more secure locking (requires an unlocked bootloader):

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

This command will completely disable the system app Updater, which is responsible for checking updates, through ADB. To get it back, use:

adb shell pm enable com.android.updater

Method 4: Using Developer Mode to Block Updates

For power users, there is a more flexible method of disabling updates through the developer settings, which will block not only the Play Market, but other background processes as well.

How to turn on the developer mode:

1. Go to Settings. → The phone.
2. Tap 7 times on the MIUI version (you will be notified "You became a developer").
3. Back to Settings → Additionally. → For developers.

Two approaches can be followed:

• 🔧 Background Process Limitation: In the developer settings, find the Process Limit. Set the value No Background Processes or Maximum 1 Process.

⚠️ Warning: This will cause all applications to be shut down when folded, and some services (such as music players or navigators) will stop working in the background.

Prohibition of automatic start-up

1. In the developer settings, turn on Do Not Remain Active (destroys all processes when you exit).
2. Find Auto Launch Apps → disable Google Play Market and Google Play Services.

These settings will significantly reduce background activity, but can cause some functions to work unstable, for example, on the Redmi K40, after such manipulations, the Always-on Display stops working correctly.

💡

Before changing the developer settings, back up through Settings → Additional → Backup and Reset. This will help restore the system if something goes wrong.

Method 5: Radical measures – removing updates via ADB

If you need to completely remove all Google Play updates and return the apps to the factory version, you can use ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which is suitable for users who are ready for possible disruptions to Google services.

Step-by-step:

1. Install ADB and Fastboot Tools on PC.
2. Enable debugging by USB on your smartphone (Settings → For developers → Debugging by USB).
3. Connect Redmi to your computer and execute the command: Adb devices (your device should appear).
4. To remove Google Play Market updates, type in: adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.android.vending
5. For Google Play Services rollback to factory version: adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.google.android.gms

Once these commands are executed, the apps will return to the version that was installed out of the box.

• ❌ Mi Account, Google Pay and other services may stop working.
• ⚠️ Next time you connect to the internet, Play Market will try to update again.
• 🔄 To prevent automatic recovery, block the Internet for Google Play Services via Settings. → Annexes → Mobile traffic.

💡

Removing updates via ADB is the most effective way, but it requires technical skills and can disrupt key services. Use it only if other methods have failed.

What to do if updates are still installed

Sometimes, even after all the manipulation, Google Play Market keeps updating apps, because Xiaomi has integrated some of the MIUI features with Google services.

• 🛡️ Use a firewall: Install an app like NetGuard or AFWall+ (requires root and block internet access for Google Play Services and Download Manager.
• 📱 Turn off Google Sync: Go to Settings → Accounts and synchronization → Google. Turn off sync for all services. ⚠️ Note: This will stop updates not only for apps, but also for contacts, calendar and other Google data.
• 🔄 Reset network settings: Sometimes resetting helps to "pull" background processes. → Connections and sharing → Resetting network settings.