Firefox - Enable or Disable Automatic Updates

7/20/2021 Firefox: Enable or Disable Automatic Updates
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Enable or Disable Automatic Updates in

Firefox
By Mitch Bartlett — 46 Comments
I don’t like Firefox constantly updating the version or the Add-ons all by itself at startup without my
knowledge. You can enable or disable automatic updates in Firefox with these steps.
From Firefox Menus
1. Select the “Menu” button in the upper-right corner, then choose “Options“.
2. Select “General” on the left pane.
3. Scroll down to the “Firefox Updates” section.
4. Select one of the following options as desired:
Automatically install updates
Check for updates, but let me choose whether to install them
Never check for updates
5. Check or uncheck the “Use a background service to install updates” option as desired.
From about:config Menu

1. Type “about:config” in the address bar, then press “Enter“.
2. Search for the “app.update.auto” setting.
3. Double-click the “app.update.auto” option to toggle the setting. If set to “true“, automatic updates are
enabled. If set to “false“, automatic updates are disabled.
https://www.technipages.com/enable-disable-automatic-updates-in-firefox 1/22
Via prefs.js file

1. Close Firefox.
2. Navigate to the following location based on your operating system.
Windows XP/Vista/7/8/10 – “%APPDATA%\Mozilla\Firefox“
Unix/Linux – “~/.mozilla/“
Mac OS X – “~/Library/Mozilla/” or “~/Library/Application Support/“
3. Open the “Profiles” folder.

4. Open the folder that represents the profile you would like to edit. The name of the folder will vary. It is
usually a bunch of characters, followed by “.default”.
5. Open the prefs.js file with a text editor like Notepad.
6. Look for a line that contains app.update.enabled. If it doesn’t exist, add a line for it in the file and set
it as desired using these examples:
user_pref("app.update.enabled", true); = Automatic updates enabled
user_pref("app.update.enabled", false); = Automatic updates disabled
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Filed Under: Software

Tagged With: firefox
Comments
GW says
May 26, 2021 at 11:11 am
Seems to work, i disabled two , things, with app.auto.update in aubout:config. Tried before, didn’t
work, now
tried it with pc disconnected from the net, which can be done in the network centre. Otherwise it
starts searching for updates, and even though, you can disable instaling before it ends, it then will
install it, even when doing about:config disable option in time, it seems here the case anyway.
David M. Otzkin says

May 26, 2020 at 11:42 am
Thanks Doug Collins out of all the others, yours is the one that worked!
doug collins says
February 4, 2020 at 12:52 pm
in your firefox version 71.0 (64) browser
go to web page
about::config
look for and doubel click to toggel on off the file
app.update.checkInstallTime true
this will stop or start update warning popup in the browser when launched
Max says
January 6, 2020 at 3:30 pm
I have found a way to stop Firefox update checking, update downloading and update notifications
once and for all without changing preference settings, altering about:config, creating policy files, or
mucking around in the console. This at least in Firefox 70.0.1 on macOS 10.13.6 on a MacPro
2010. Your results may vary. I quit Firefox. In my applications folder, I right clicked the Firefox
application and selected Show Package Contents. I deleted the file
Contents/Resources/updater.ini. I suppose renaming the file would make it easier to revert
changes in case I ever want to update. Restarting Firefox brought me totally silent, unannoying,
alertless bliss.
nomail says
November 18, 2019 at 3:21 am
This does not work.
“Never check for updates” is NOT an available option.
Dorothy E Rownfats says

November 3, 2019 at 10:55 pm
I should have stated before that for the past six months or more inspite of repeated updates
Firefox “stops working” and forces me to close the program then reload. They have chosen to
force me to jump through hoops to use Flash even though it is still a year away from when Adobe
stops supporting the program. That does not mean that Flash will stop working. It just means that
Firefox and other browsers can command it’s users to conform to their standards of usage.
Mozilla advertises that they are different and that their product is for the people and not controlled
by big corporations. Why should I believe anything they say they are doing for me? How do I know
that they are not collecting my personal data to sell to the highest bidder or the government. I do
not trust anyone anymore.
Dorothy E Rownfats says

I wish you would update your “fix” to reflect the current version 69 2019. I have already set my
update to FALSE. And yet even though I just did an update they still download and ask me to install
another update a week later. This downloading in the background is overworking my harddrive and
the excessive whirring causes me to worry that it will not hold up to this extreme usage. I have
searched repeatedly for someone… anyone who can tell me how to stop this insane rape of my
computer. If their product is so haphazardly programmed that is requires fixing every week maybe
it is time to dump it in the trash like a bad investment.
mountainkiddo says
October 13, 2019 at 11:47 am
Today I changed the permissions on the update folder to 744 (rwx for me, read only for others).
/Users/username/Library/Caches/Mozilla
I first let it update one last time. We’ll see what this does.
Mioljub Vukovic says

September 24, 2019 at 9:39 am
I am against any updates because in February and March I have spent 6 weeks trying to learn
programming .CSS file to make Firefox 66 show header the way i want (with “TABS on bottom”
and lines as low height as possible).
Then I disabled updates.
Last week somehow it updated to Version 69 and put me to the point of giving up on Firefox, for
Chrome.
I am not programmer and am not willing to spend another 6 weeks. trying this again.
If Firefox programmers intended to force us (customers) to do the same, they had great success.
It would be, otherwise, better if they posted instruction how to do it right.
Vule.
mountainkiddo says
July 22, 2019 at 12:50 pm
Version 68 not able to turn off updates completely.
Thank you for the hidden info regarding the config:app.update.auto. But with the newer versions
the option “Never check for updates” no longer exists in the Options page. Setting the
app.update.auto to false does not persist., Open a new instance of Firefox and it is reset back to
true.
Ticked-off user says
June 26, 2019 at 10:22 am
Let’s hope the about:config auto-update change I did this morning works, because several times in
the last couple weeks, ****I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF USING FIREFOX WITH 12 OR 15 DIFFERENT
TABS ALREADY OPENED****, and when I clicked a link to open in a new tab,..it opened a new tab
alright, but then wouldn’t go anywhere, or do anything other than to tell me it needs to update, and
that “all your open tabs and webpages will be restored when firefox restarts”…
…which was patently false, as it never did restore any of them.
I’m all for updating, maybe even forced updating, but NOT when I’m in the middle of doing
something and out of nowhere it is forcing me to abandon everything I’m doing because it decided
to update itself.
virtualone says
June 20, 2019 at 10:39 pm
Check this out to disable the Firefox updates:
https://superuser.com/questions/1325421/how-do-i-stop-firefox-from-notifying-me-about-
updates
Clive Page says

June 1, 2019 at 4:43 am
I’m also annoyed at the constant nagging to update. I installed v67 as a result of these nags and it
has several terrible consequences. (1) Loses all your saved bookmarks and logins unless you
deliberately use their Sync mechanism, which I had to do. Now my mobile phone is also synced
and has my saved passwords which I didn’t want. (2) Lost nearly all my cookies so every site I visit
nags me to accept their cookies again. (3) All the icons on the menu bar got lost in the update, and
are only now slowly being restored as I visit these sites.
I am very keen to avoid computers by others in my family having to cope with the considerable
hassle of recovering from updating to v67 but haven’t so far worked out how to stop the nagging
to update continuing to occur. Will try a few of the solutions suggested here.
Brenda Helverson says

May 26, 2019 at 12:47 pm
Last night, Firefox automatically updated and broke Paperport 14.5. I had to revert to last week’s
settings to fix it. According to others, this is a recurring problem. Thank you for these instructions
– I will avoid updating Firefox for a while and hopefully they will fix this problem.
aeiou says
May 22, 2019 at 7:04 pm
There is a reason Firefox updates itself automatically. Just look at any security blog and you’ll see
that only this week 2 critical vulnerabilities were discovered, one of which was also present in
Firefox ESR. When you disable software updates, you are implicitly taking responsibility for any
security flaws present in your current unpatched version. When your system gets compromised
you’ll be the one who has to clear up.
el Commandante says
May 17, 2019 at 2:46 am
I’ve used FF and Thunderbird for 10y +.
Now just no more Mozilla period.
Opera gone! FF gone! who’s next?.
Ross D says
May 9, 2019 at 7:27 pm
Just do it in Firefox. That’s the way I always go. Under the about:config menu. Give them a couple
tries, for updates and check out which of the last few were decent. Download that version and
install over the old one. Always go back and check your config settings after. I’ve been “got” a few
times.
Scott says
March 28, 2019 at 9:46 am
Yes this helped, NO MORE FIREFOX !!!
They joined the deep state globalist cabal and are no longer
independant computer user friendly.
Pale Moon
Maxthon
and other browsers with adblocking are a better browser now.
FoxICT says
March 27, 2019 at 9:37 am
Exit Firefox
Goto the folder C:\ProgramData\Mozilla\updates and delete the updates contained inside the
Folder
Right click on the folder to reveal the Folder Properties, and select Security
Click EDIT, and for each of the SYSTEM , ADMINSITRATORS & USERS security permissions,
remove the WRITE permissions.
Tick the checkbox “Replace All Child Permission entries … ” and Apply.
This will disable the downloading and writing to the UPDATES folder and the Updates messages.
Beware this may compromise the security effectiveness within Firefox as each minor update
would provide.
C.Smythe says
January 18, 2019 at 9:40 am
get ver 60.4.0 or older if you want disable updates. at mozilla search ‘previous versions’ on
Advanced Install Options & Other Platforms
PimPamPet says
Eachtime I get another notification popup for yet another update at startup.
I used Firefox for many years but this is getting so annoying that I will switch soon to another
browser.
BW says
FF 64 removes useful options such as opening page “blank” and a seperate set of “home pages”.
FF63 removed many of the options to control updating. When will the devlopers stop telling users
how they must conform?
Unfortunately I tried all the options here and it still notifies me that I should update.
jumbomumbo says
January 14, 2019 at 5:52 pm
Horrible constant updates and I do not have a preferences option to STOP them Arrrrrrgh, so
frustrating.
NoName says
January 11, 2019 at 10:54 pm
The “never check for updates” option seems to have been removed in the most recent update (I
updated to 64.0.2 on MacOS recently). Is there another way to achieve this? I do not want to be
bugged by this (every couple of days, apparently), and never, ever want the check to occur
auotmatically, even if it doesn’t do the auto-install. I’ll quit using the SW if this doesn’t get fixed.
SkyDiver says
I need to stay on Firefox v.56 in order to run external tools that require this version.
The tools don’t need to open the UI so it went fine for a while.
I then opened the UI once and all was good, and then when I opened the UI again it went on and
auto-installed the latest version.
The suggested fix in this page’s article didn’t cut it for me, but the following seems to workaround
the auto-updated:
(*) Note: This was validated for v56 under a linux (Ubuntu) system, I can’t vouch for other FF/OS
versions.
1. Install firefox
2. Open the menu and go to Preferences
3. Under the “Firefox Updates” section, select “Never check for updates”
4. By this time, the auto-update mechanism already kicked into action and will auto-install the
latest version upon the next app launch.
5. Close firefox
Note that at this point, you should already have a ~/.mozilla directory, containing your saved
preferences.
6. Uninstall firefox and re-install it.

7. Launch firefox
At this point FF will pick up your preferences (from the ~/.mozilla directory) and will have the
“Never check for updates” flag pre-configured on launch, and will thus not auto-update anymore.
Bonus:
Comment #137 on Mozilla’s issue regarding this subject

(https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1420514) specifies how to disable updates on
newer versions (I’ll assume it’s relevant to v64+ and maybe even v63+).
Following is the comment’s content.
Cheers.
You can turn off updates using our policy support:
https://github.com/mozilla/policy-templates/blob/master/README.md
Create a directory called “distribution” in the same directory as your Firefox executable
(Firefox.app/Content/Resources on Mac).
Create a file called policies.json in that directory and put the following in it:
“policies”: {
“DisableAppUpdate”: true
And you won’t get asked for updates.
If you’re on Windows, you can also use GPO to do it.
ttot says
December 25, 2018 at 7:17 am
Firefox had removed all its good features and added many bloatwares which are hidden and not
adjustable.
about:config do not longer help you prevent htese bloatwares for example bugging you to update,
tracking your movements, habits, behavior and timing. Mozilla is now turned into another tracking
tool like Facebook, Google, Paypal, Ebay, Aliexpress, Alibaba and many others. I am afraid these
tools will sell our information.
Oliver says
The FF developers did NOT remove the ability to disable updates, they pushed it to a place where
only people with administrative privilege can do it. If you have this right on your computer, you can
use group policies. But Windows 7/8/10 doesn’t offer the editor in the Home version. Then you still
can do it in the registry directly.
Save the text from “Windows Registry Editor..” to the end as a *.REG file and import it. Afterwards
you will see a message in options that updates are disabled by administrators. As a administrator
you should know how to import and how to get rid of it as well.
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Mozilla\Firefox]
“DisableAppUpdate”=dword:00000001
Ted S. says
December 16, 2018 at 12:01 pm
Agree with Michael. I’ve got a data plan with daytime caps, so update anything in the overnight
hours. It’s vitally important for me to be able to update when I want and not when the software
forces me.
Michael says
December 12, 2018 at 3:40 pm
This was helpful up to Version 63.03 for me. Then FireFox removed the option to manually update.
Starting with V. 64.0 you get the nags telling you it is out of date, and cannot get rid of them.
I update FireFox once a month on a schedule, MY schedule. I should not have to keep confirming I
don’t want to update at that very second when it is not scheduled. I may seem a minor issue to
some, but I think most have had enough of nag screens and popup windows getting in the way of
getting something done.
I don’t recognize the specific entry for that in about:config. It seems it is all or nothing now…. If
there is a workaround for that that allowes true manual updating without the nags, it would be
appreciated.
David says
Annoying nagging prompt persists even after taking all of these steps. I’ve used FF since ’86,
switched to MS Edge on Win 10, which is worse, back to FF, can’t turn off the nagging prompts for
software update.
Joeh Blackcrow says

November 17, 2018 at 9:01 am
Firefox seems to get more and more a victim of the paranoia in social and cultural consciousness.
May be, Mozilla should think about two separate release lines: one for paranoid main stream
people who hate decisions and believe blindly in security and one for those people loving Mozilla
products, but want to stay responsible for themselves. ;)
Many recent changes in the last 2 years made me think about forgetting Firefox and switch to an
alternative browser with more freedom for the user very often, but unfortunately, all others I
tested, are worse.
TomH says
I tracked-down the “bug” that removed this functionality:

https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1420514
Please leave your own feeback on it.
Renato says
October 25, 2018 at 5:43 am
I completely agree with Danny
Danny says
October 24, 2018 at 12:54 pm
They just removed the option to turn off updates in version 63.
And I just removed the browser from my computer.
I will not accept any Windows 10-like behavior on my computer
Either I control the software or the software controls me.
Such a shame that Firefox just turned into crapware.
Renato says
SOLVED the problem.
These are the steps.
Install the old version of Firefox. but do not open it.
Add to the Hosts file (..Windows \ System 32 \ drivers \ etc) the following staves:
127.0.0.1 http://www.mozilla.org
127.0.0.1 download.cdn.mozilla.net
127.0.0.1 aus5.mozilla.org
127.0.0.1 download.mozilla.org
Open Fir. and perform the steps described in the article.

(From about: config set app.update.auto false, app.update.enabled false)
Select the “Menu” Button menu in the upper-right corner, then choose “Options”.
Select “Advances” or Select “General” on the left pane and
Scroll down to “Firefox Updates” section.

Select the following option:
“Never check for updates”
Select in “Advances” “show update history”. It must be empty. If it is not empty Check the Mozzilla
directories in appdata / roaming, appdata / local and appdata / localLow and empty them. This
step is optional. We finished.
To check from the menu:
Support
about Firefox
check for updates
The system answers “Firefox is up to date”. Finish.
Warning: this work prevents the update of other Firefox versions present in the machine.
John says
They are removing the option to turn off updates completely.
They are turning Firefox into Windows 10 riskware.
From now on I cannot call Firefox free software as there is no more freedom in it.
novaj469 says
Choose ‘custom’ during installation and then untick ‘install mozilla maintainance services’. this is
what updates firefox in background
Dancing With Lasagna says

August 14, 2018 at 7:22 pm
I have done all three things. Firefox continually rams updates down my throat and screws up
countless websites, worst of all the banking websites I use. I’m tired of being a victim, and no one
knows how not to be one,
Mariebattis says
August 4, 2018 at 9:47 am
Unfortunately some websites have their own auto refresh setting which over-rides any Firefox
settings. This why it keeps doing it despite the ‘fix’
JILLIAN TRIBBETT says

July 15, 2018 at 5:50 am
I am on firefox 37, and it updated automatically even though i set it not to in the options. Any idea
why? It just started doing this a couple weeks ago, even though I’d been on firefox 37 for years. I
run on XP, and Win 2008.
Susan says
June 30, 2018 at 7:53 am
Hi Mitch! I was so hoping to see a response (on this page) to my ‘help’ request re: FF forcing auto
updates despite doing everything you suggested. Do you have any idea why your ‘fix’ doesn’t work,
and do you have any other idea how to stop FF from automatically updating? Seems hard to
believe I’m the only one with this problem, :). Sincere thanks, Susan
Murali says
June 21, 2018 at 2:17 am
Thank you Mitch. You are doing a wonderful job.
Murali
Susan says
June 13, 2018 at 6:50 pm
I have, in both Options and “about:config”, checked or changed settings for Firefox to NOT update
automatically. It goes ahead and does it anyway. Now what can I do? Obviously, Firefox ignores
my preferences and forces automatic updates, :( Thanks!!
Doug says
June 7, 2018 at 7:08 pm
Great help! Up to date too!(I guess I can thank my k9 search engine for that..
Yes, I too resent updates being done automatically. I got onto Firefox for thinking it was protecting
my choice freedom and such, but it seems that the new regime of bosses is forgetting why people
originally got it. Figures, since the new guys in control got that way by a political decision which
turfed one of the founders of Firefox.
Loc_rabbirt says
May 20, 2018 at 7:43 am
Thank you so much for your share, I want stay in 48.0.2 and it still update daily even I
configuration in Options. I will try your steps.
John M says
April 2, 2018 at 1:56 pm
Yes, this post absolutely helped! I have been searching for a way to turn off auto updates and
search for updates only when I choose, which used to be the way for browsers or if it’s still use,
used to be easy to set.
As a former computer tech of 15 years working on getting back in; the idea of using default Firefox
or install ESR for a Firefox that doesn’t update that fast, basically an ultimatum of choosing one
side or the other, removing user customization is VERY stupid and is the sole reason why the tech
industry used to be good — fix now, ship later — and its not anymore — ship now, fix later —
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7/20/2021 Firefox: Enable or Disable Automatic Updates

Enable or Disable Automatic Updates in

From Firefox Menus

From about:config Menu

Via prefs.js file

3. Open the “Profiles” folder.

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Filed Under: Software

David M. Otzkin says

doug collins says

February 4, 2020 at 12:52 pm

in your firefox version 71.0 (64) browser

look for and doubel click to toggel on off the file

This does not work.

“Never check for updates” is NOT an available option.

Dorothy E Rownfats says

Dorothy E Rownfats says

Mioljub Vukovic says

Then I disabled updates.

It would be, otherwise, better if they posted instruction how to do it right.

Version 68 not able to turn off updates completely.

Ticked-off user says

June 26, 2019 at 10:22 am

…which was patently false, as it never did restore any of them.

Check this out to disable the Firefox updates:

Clive Page says

Brenda Helverson says

I’ve used FF and Thunderbird for 10y +.

Now just no more Mozilla period.

Opera gone! FF gone! who’s next?.

Yes this helped, NO MORE FIREFOX !!!

independant computer user friendly.

and other browsers with adblocking are a better browser now.

Advanced Install Options & Other Platforms

2. Open the menu and go to Preferences

6. Uninstall firefox and re-install it.

Comment #137 on Mozilla’s issue regarding this subject

Following is the comment’s content.

You can turn off updates using our policy support:

And you won’t get asked for updates.

If you’re on Windows, you can also use GPO to do it.

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

Joeh Blackcrow says

I tracked-down the “bug” that removed this functionality:

Please leave your own feeback on it.

I completely agree with Danny

October 24, 2018 at 12:54 pm

And I just removed the browser from my computer.

I will not accept any Windows 10-like behavior on my computer

Either I control the software or the software controls me.

Such a shame that Firefox just turned into crapware.

SOLVED the problem.

These are the steps.

Install the old version of Firefox. but do not open it.

Open Fir. and perform the steps described in the article.

Select “Advances” or Select “General” on the left pane and

Scroll down to “Firefox Updates” section.

“Never check for updates”