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How to Disable OTA Update as well as its Notifications on Pixel

In this guide, we will show you the steps to disable the OTA update and its notification on your Pixel device. The devices from the Silicon Valley giant are usually the first in line to get blessed with the latest OS upgrades. As far as installing those updates are concerned the most straightforward approach is to head over to Settings > System > System Update or just tap on the update notification that appears.

However, not everyone might want to install the update as soon as it lands on their device. There could be quite a few reasons for the same. For example, owing to the recent attack record of buggy updates being rolled out, many users prefer to wait for a few days before installing the update. Likewise, if your device is rooted, then you wouldn’t be even able to install these OTA updates directly.

However, in all these cases, the device will still keep on constantly reminding you of these updates. So what could be done in such cases? Well, there exists a couple of nifty methods through which you easily disable the OTA update as well as its notification on your Pixel device. And in this guide, we will show you how to do just that. So without further ado, let’s get started.

How to Disable OTA Update and its Notifications on Pixel

Disable OTA Update pixel

Do note that this process will not only disable the update notifications but it will also end up disabling the OTA update altogether. However, the process is completely reversible and you could re-enable it as and when required [explained later on in this guide]. Droidwin and its members wouldn’t be held responsible in case of a thermonuclear war, your alarm doesn’t wake you up, or if anything happens to your device and data by performing the below steps.

Method 1: Using Swift Backup

  1. Download and install Swift Backup from Play Store.
  2. Then launch it and tap Grant in the Magisk request.Disable OTA Update pixel
  3. Now search Factory OTA Mode and long press on it.
  4. Finally, select Disable from the menu that appears.

That’s it. This was the first method through which you could disable the OTA update and its notification on your Pixel device. Let’s now make you aware of the second approach to get this job done.

Method 2: Using ADB Commands

We will be doing the same exact same thing that we did above- disable the Factory OTA Mode on your device. However, this time around, we will be using the ADB Commands to do this job. Follow along.

STEP 1: Install Android SDK

install adb platform tools windows

First and foremost, you will have to install the Android SDK Platform Tools on your PC. This is the official ADB and Fastboot binary provided by Google and is the only recommended one. So download it and then extract it to any convenient location on your PC. Doing so will give you the platform-tools folder, which will be used throughout this guide.

STEP 2: Enable USB Debugging

Next up, you will also have to enable USB Debugging so as to make your device recognizable by the PC in ADB mode. So head over to Settings > About Phone > Tap on Build Number 7 times > Go back to Settings > System > Advanced > Developer Options > Enable USB Debugging.

Disable OTA Update pixel

STEP 3: Disable OTA Update on Pixel Without Root

  1. To begin with, connect your device to the PC via a USB cable. Make sure USB Debugging is enabled.
  2. Then head over to the platform-tools folder, type in CMD in the address bar, and hit Enter. This will launch the Command Prompt.
    command-prompt-inside-adb
  3. Now type in the following command in the CMD window to disable the Factory OTA Mode.
    adb shell pm disable-user -–user 0 com.google.android.factoryota
  4. However, if disabling didn’t do the job, then you will have to install it from your device via the below command [you could easily reinstall it as and when required].
    adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.google.android.factoryota

This will disable the OTA update and its notification on your Pixel device. Let’s now make you aware of the steps to revert the process, in other words, re-enable the OTA updates and their notifications on your Pixel device.

How to Re-Enable OTA Update and its Notifications on Pixel

  1. If you had disabled the Factory OTA Mode, then use the below command to re-enable it.
    pm enable -–user 0 PackageName
  2. On the other hand, if you had uninstalled it, then use the below command to reinstall it.
    cmd package install-existing PackageName

On that note, we round off this guide. If you have any queries concerning the aforementioned steps, do let us know in the comments. We will get back to you with a solution at the earliest.


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