How to Permanently Disable Automatic Updates for Google Chrome on Windows 11

If you’re looking for a way to permanently disable automatic updates for Google Chrome on your Windows 11 device, you’re not alone. Many users find the frequent update prompts to be intrusive, especially when they prefer to manage their applications manually. In this guide, we’ll explore effective methods to prevent Google Chrome from updating without your consent.

The Challenge with Automatic Updates

Despite your best efforts—such as tweaking various settings in the Windows 11 Services app to disable services like “GoogleUpdaterService” and “GoogleUpdaterInternalService”—you may still encounter persistent update notifications. Chrome often displays banners alerting you of new versions and requests to restart the browser, which can be quite irritating.

Steps to Disable Updates

To take control over Chrome’s update behavior, consider the following strategies:

1. Change Update Policies Using Group Policy Editor (For Windows Pro and Enterprise Users):
2. If you are using Windows 11 Pro or Enterprise, you can leverage the Group Policy Editor to manage Chrome updates.
3. Press Win + R, type gpedit.msc, and hit Enter.
4. Navigate to Computer Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Google -> Google Update -> Applications.

5. Find Google Chrome and set the policy for “Update policy override” to “Updates disabled”.

6. Modify the Registry:

7. For users who might not have access to Group Policy Editor, you can make registry edits instead.
8. Press Win + R, enter regedit, and press Enter.
9. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Google\Update.
10. If the Update key doesn’t exist, right-click and create a new key named “Update”.

11. Within this, create a new DWORD (32-bit) value named “AutoUpdateCheckPeriodMinutes” and set its value to 0 to disable automatic checks.

12. Alternative Method – Uninstall Google Update:

13. Another option available is to uninstall Google Update. However, be cautious with this approach as it may prevent other Google applications from receiving important updates.

Final Thoughts

By following the steps above, you should be able to regain control over Google Chrome’s update process. Remember to regularly check for updates manually to ensure your browser remains secure and functional. If you’re ever in doubt about making these changes, consider consulting a tech professional or doing further