How to avoid unwanted OS updates

[Two Wire]

I woke up this morning to find I had recived an OS update to ver. 4.4.2 from ver. 4.3 on my Galaxy S4. I was satisfied with what I had and thought I had disabled auto updates. I have two questions:

1. Is there a way to reverse this update if I decide I don't like Kit Kat?
2. Is there a way to prevent this from happening again, and if so where do I go to check the correct box?

 

[electricpete]

1-You can not go back. The newer versions don't let you go back. You're stuck. Sorry.
2 - On xda are listed three programs to freeze to prevent update:
[INDEX] All things AT&T MK2 and NB1 (including ROMs) [updated 2.27.14] - xda-developers

.... BLOCK THE UPDATE....
* AT&T Software update v42_1_1309_1_1
* LocalFOTA v2_1308_1_1
* wssyncmlnps v43_1309_3_1

I have those three frozen and seems to be working to prevent update. No update prompt or notification has occurred. Although I did receive a "security policy update" on Tuesday...the exact day that the update hit the streets for my phone (AT&T S4) because I had security policy update setting set to auto. Doesn't seem to have affected anything.

Some things I'm not positive of:
* does it require root to freeze those three programs or can they be simply "disabled" in the normal app menu? I'm not positive but I think they are special programs that require root to freeze.
* are there other ways to avoid update if not rooted? Not sure. I thought if you simply didn't click "ok" to agree to the update you would be safe from the update? Or maybe just turn off the notifications for the update? These have been discussed before and never came to clear conclusion. On the surface your op suggests it installed without asking you.

 

[Two Wire]

Thanks for the info. I will check out that website.

You are right.I did not give permission for this to happen.I received a notice yesterday that a download was in process, but I had no way to stop it, other than to power down, which the download warned against. Later in the evening a dialog screen asked me to click OK to install the program. I had no idea what program it was referring to, so I backed out without doing anything. Then this morning......well, you know the rest of the story. I don't like being told I need something. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it"

 

[allanlaw]

So, to summarize, the update downloads, you are asked to click "OK" to install something, you do NOT click "OK" but instead "backed out without doing anything," and then apparently the update installed itself overnight. Really strange, and inconsistent with every other Android update that I have seen in the last 4 years. Of course, I've been on Verizon, so other carriers may have something else up their sleeves.

 

[Two Wire]

Yup! That is what happened my case. However, I must add I haven't noticed any of the ill effects others have complained about resulting from the update. As I implied earlier though, let me decide what I need and when I need it.

 

[allanlaw]

So, to summarize, the update downloads, you are asked to click "OK" to install something, you do NOT click "OK" but instead "backed out without doing anything," and then apparently the update installed itself overnight.

Yup! That is what happened my case. However, I must add I haven't noticed any of the ill effects others have complained about resulting from the update.

I think it would be helpful to hear if others are experiencing spontaneous installation of the KK update, or not, including identification of their carrier. I'm curious if we've reached a new level of bad behavior by the powers that be regarding Android updates.

 

[electricpete]

I agree more info is better. Would be nice to know what we can tell non-rooted people who don't want to update. We had similar discussion last time around (4.3) and I recall hearing mixed stories... can't find any links.

I'd like to ask you to clarify your experience for previous updates allanlaw:
What is the most recent update that you blocked by ignoring it?
I assume you took no special measures like freezing update apps?
you received notification updates and ignored them and nothing happened?
Did it download and not install... or didn't download at all?
Did the notifications go away ever?

 

[allanlaw]

No indication yet of KK coming OTA on Verizon. Previously, all Android updates first appeared as a notice of download, request for ok to install. On several, I waited a while before giving the ok, and other than constant notices about the pending update, the phone remained calm. Ultimately I accepted each one when it appeared they would not cause me a problem and I tired of the notices, although now I'm a little annoyed that I didn't root before the update that locked the bootloader. Not rooted, no relevant app, no relevant setting as far as I can tell although I did set the Play store app not to auto-update (probably not relevant).

 

[mgbcab]

S4,ATT; I had downloaded but did not install at the time. Was waiting to see more about the sd card issue. The next day was in a mtg and the phone began to install and couldn't stop it. Have seen no real changes or upgrades in KK.

 

[spencerr]

i declined the last update several times and the one day when i turned on wifi it did it on it's own. lost my data button on the pulldown screen. KK update i decided to do on my own hopping they put my data button back. No go