Should I turn off auto-update of the apps

[Android Central Question]

My galaxy note 3 is stuck at Android 5.1 version but the apps still keep (auto-)updating. Should I stop updating the apps? Thanks.

 

[VidJunky]

Why would you want to stop updating the apps? Even if you're running an older version of Android the apps will only update to what you can run. Most updates include code for the app to run on older versions of Android, so even if the dev. updates something to help or fix an issue on a newer version of Android it won't affect you unless they decide to discontinue support for your version. Even then most times you'll just stop getting updates but the app won't go away. I've only seen devs. completely take down apps if under lawsuit, forced to by Google, or they no longer want to host the app.

 

[Rukbat]

My philosophy is that, since so many apps have been "improved" to the point of uselessness, I keep updates off and if I want what a new version promises, I first back up the existing one (using Apk Extractor), then manually update. (Then, if I don't like the update, and Settings > Apps doesn't give me an "uninstall updates" option, I can uninstall the new version and install the old version.)

(Maps used to have a good listing of locations you've been to. Then they "improved" that - and took out the ability to list locations. Until My Directions - now My Places - came out, I stayed with the old version.)

 

[B. Diddy]

Welcome to Android Central! I pretty much update all apps if there are updates available, but I keep auto-update off, because I like to control when I update. There's always a small possibility that a particular app update causes problems, so if I see an article about problem like that, I can avoid updating the app until the developer patches it.

 

[Laura Knotek]

It's possible that if the OP's device is still running Lollipop that app updates might result in apps not functioning on his device.

 

[B. Diddy]

If an app update only worked on a higher Android version, would the update actually show up? The situation we usually see on the forums is somebody uninstalling an app, and then trying to reinstall it from the Play Store -- and since the current updated version on the Play Store is no longer compatible with the old Android version, now the user is unable to get the app reinstalled.