Steam does not provide a guaranteed, permanent “disable all updates” switch in its normal settings. The easiest supported option is to open a game’s Properties → Updates and select Only update this game when I launch it. This postpones routine background updates, but Steam may still require the update when you launch the game.
To control timing across your library, use Steam’s download schedule. If an update is already running, pause it from the Downloads page. The instructions below apply generally to Windows, macOS, Linux, and Steam Deck, although labels and navigation can vary between stable, beta, Desktop Mode, and Big Picture clients.
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The easiest way to stop one Steam game updating automatically
- Open Steam and go to Library.
- Right-click the game, or open its library page and select the gear icon.
- Choose Properties.
- Open Updates.
- Under Automatic Updates, select Only update this game when I launch it.
- Close the Properties window.
This is Steam’s officially documented per-game control. It reduces routine background updating for that title, but it does not permanently block patches. An update may remain queued, and launching the game can trigger the download before you can play. See Steam’s download and update guidance for the current support details.
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The setting applies only to the selected game. You must repeat the process for other titles unless your client provides a global default.
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How to change Steam’s default update behavior for all games
Steam introduced additional global update-behavior controls in a December 2024 client-beta announcement. If your installed client exposes these controls, open Steam → Settings → Downloads and look for an update behavior option that lets Steam either decide when to update or wait until a game is launched. A Manage Exceptions option may also let you apply different rules to individual games.
Exact labels and availability can differ between Steam client builds, operating systems, Steam Beta, SteamOS, Desktop Mode, and Big Picture Mode. Do not assume that every stable installation shows the beta interface described in the December 11, 2024 Steam Client Beta announcement. If the global option is absent, use the per-game setting above.
How to schedule Steam updates
If you want updates to happen at a convenient time rather than stop entirely, set an automatic-download window:
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- Open Steam → Settings.
- Select Downloads.
- Find the option that limits automatic game updates to a specified time period.
- Choose a window when your computer is idle or your network is not needed.
- Close Settings to save the change.
Steam’s support documentation gives an overnight example such as midnight to 8 a.m. A schedule is useful for metered connections, work hours, streaming, or gaming sessions, but it is not a permanent block. You can manually override the schedule from the Download Manager, and launching a game may force its update.
How to pause an update already in progress
- Open Downloads from the bottom of the Steam client, or select View → Downloads.
- Find the game in the download queue.
- Click Pause.
- Use the queue controls to reorder downloads or remove/cancel the pending item if that control is available in your client.
- Resume or manually start the update later.
Pausing solves the immediate bandwidth problem, but it does not change the game’s future update policy. To reduce later background updates, also change the game’s setting under Properties → Updates. Steam documents the Download Manager and its queue controls in its Managing Steam Downloads & Updates article.
How to stop Steam downloading while you play
If the real problem is lag, bandwidth use, or disk activity while playing another game, change Steam’s download behavior during gameplay instead of disabling updates entirely. In Steam → Settings → Downloads, look for the setting that controls whether downloads are allowed while you are playing or streaming a game.
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This addresses a different problem:
- Steam uses bandwidth while I play: restrict downloads during gameplay.
- I need one game to remain on its current build: choose Only update this game when I launch it, accepting that launch may still require an update.
Does Offline Mode stop Steam updates?
Yes, Steam says that games and Steam itself do not receive normal important updates while the client is in Offline Mode. However, Offline Mode is not a practical permanent auto-update solution.
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Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Offline Mode can disable multiplayer, cloud synchronization, achievements, online authentication, and other network-dependent features. Some games also refuse to start offline unless they have previously been prepared for offline use. Test the game before relying on Offline Mode during travel or without an internet connection. See Steam’s Offline Mode support page.
Advanced workaround for modded games: a read-only app manifest
Some community discussions recommend making a game’s appmanifest_<AppID>.acf file read-only. This file records installation and update state inside a Steam library’s steamapps folder. It is an unsupported workaround, not an official Steam setting, and it is not guaranteed to block updates.
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Risks include Steam reporting an inconsistent installation, attempting repairs or redownloads, or interfering with launching, verifying, moving, uninstalling, and updating the game. Client updates may also change how this behavior works. It is particularly unsuitable for online or competitive games.
If you choose to experiment with it, first back up your save files, mod profiles, load orders, configuration files, mod files, and the original manifest. Remember that you may have multiple Steam libraries on different drives; there is no single path that applies to every installation. Before intentionally updating or repairing the game, restore normal write permissions by removing the read-only attribute.
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Why Steam still updates after you changed the setting
- You launched the game: the “Only update when I launch it” setting can require the update at launch.
- The update was already queued or staged: pause or remove the existing item separately in Downloads.
- You manually overrode the schedule: Download Manager controls can permit an immediate update.
- You changed the wrong game or library entry: confirm the setting on the specific title you intend to preserve.
- Your client uses different labels: Steam Beta, stable Steam, SteamOS, and Big Picture interfaces may not match exactly.
- It is a Steam client update: game update preferences do not necessarily control Steam’s own maintenance.
- The game requires a current version: online servers, launchers, DRM, or anti-cheat systems may reject an outdated build. This is game-specific.
Launching the game executable directly is not a dependable universal bypass. Many games require Steam authentication, Steam APIs, a launcher, DRM, or anti-cheat services. Direct launches may also affect cloud saves, achievements, multiplayer, or configuration.
Steam Deck and Linux considerations
The same general controls are available on Steam Deck and Linux, but navigation can vary between Desktop Mode, SteamOS, Big Picture Mode, and the desktop Steam client. If Settings or a game’s full Properties menu is difficult to find, switch to Desktop Mode and use the standard Library and Steam Settings paths.
Which method should you use?
| Goal | Best method | Main drawback |
|---|---|---|
| Stop one game updating in the background | Properties → Updates → Only update this game when I launch it | Launching may trigger the update |
| Prevent updates during work or gaming hours | Set an automatic-update window | The schedule can be overridden |
| Stop a download immediately | Pause it in Downloads | Future updates remain enabled |
| Play without internet access | Offline Mode | Some games and online features may not work |
| Preserve a modded version temporarily | Per-game setting, backups, and careful version management | Unsupported file workarounds can break Steam management |
| Keep an online competitive game compatible | Leave automatic updates enabled | Uses bandwidth and storage |
How to restore automatic updates
Return to the game’s Properties → Updates page and select the normal automatic-update behavior offered by your client. If you used a read-only manifest workaround, remove the read-only attribute before verifying, repairing, moving, uninstalling, or updating the game.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsAs of August 18, 2026, Steam’s supported controls are best understood as tools to postpone, schedule, pause, or temporarily avoid game updates—not as a guaranteed permanent block for every title.
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