[Tip] Disable Automatic Background Updates Feature in Mozilla Firefox

Mozilla Firefox 90.0 and later versions come with a new feature called “Background App Update” which automatically checks for new version updates in background (when Firefox is not in use) and applies or installs them (without user approval) to keep installed Firefox version up to date.

Mozilla team is rolling out this new feature in phases, so some Firefox users might already received the new functionality while some might be still waiting for it.

This new feature is set to automatically check for new Firefox updates every 7 hours when Firefox is not running and if it finds a new version of Firefox available for download, it automatically installs the new version and upgrades the installed Firefox to the latest available version.

That’s why some people may find Firefox.exe executable or process running in Task Manager even if they are not using Firefox browser at that time. It happens due to new Background Update feature which automatically launches Firefox.exe executable in a stripped-down headless mode to check for new version updates as shown in following screenshot:

PS: Other popular web browsers such as Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge and Opera also use similar techniques to automatically download and install new version updates in background.

Although it’s a good feature and will help users in always using latest updated version of Firefox but some Firefox users may not like the new feature.

Since the new feature is automatic and doesn’t ask for user’s permission, some people who want to have full control over their software programs, may want to disable or block the new functionality.

Fortunately, there are ways to remove this functionality and prevent or restrict Firefox from automatically checking for new updates in background when you are not using the browser.

In this article, we are going to share all possible methods to disable or remove new Background App Update feature in Mozilla Firefox 90.0 and later versions:

METHOD 1: Using About:Config Tool

This is the best and easiest method to disable new background update feature in Firefox.

Mozilla team has provided a hidden secret preference/flag to control new background update functionality in Firefox. You can modify this preference to enable or disable background update feature.

1. Open Mozilla Firefox and type about:config in the address bar and press Enter. It’ll show you a warning message, click on “Accept the Risk and Continue” button. It’ll open Firefox’s hidden secret advanced configuration page i.e. about:config page.

2. Now type scheduling in Search filter box and look for following preference in the window:

If the preference value is set to true, it means new Background Update feature is activated and enabled in your system.

If the preference value is set to false, it means new Background Update feature is not enabled in your system.

3. If the above mentioned preference is already set to False in your Firefox browser, it means new Background Update feature is currently disabled in your browser as Mozilla team is rolling out the new feature in phases. At the moment, you don’t need to do anything. You can follow METHOD 4 given below to implement Firefox policy to block Background Update feature in future.

But if the preference is set to True and you want to deactivate and disable new background update feature, double-click on app.update.background.scheduling.enabled preference and set it to false. Alternatively, you can click on the Toggle icon given next to the preference name.

That’s it. It’ll immediately disable Background Update feature in your Firefox browser and it’ll no longer check for updates in background without your knowledge.

METHOD 2: Using Firefox Options Page

If the above mentioned preference/flag is set to True in about:config page, you can also disable Background Update feature using Firefox Options page.

1. Open Firefox and click on the Hamburger icon present at the right-side end of the toolbar to open the main menu. Now click on Options menu to open Firefox settings page.

Alternatively, you can direct option this page using about:preferences command in address bar.

2. Now under “General” tab, scroll down and go to “Firefox Updates” section.

3. If “Automatically install updates (recommended)” option is selected, you’ll see a new checkbox “When Firefox is not running” below the option.

Uncheck the “When Firefox is not running” checkbox and it’ll disable new Background Update feature in Firefox.

PS: Please note that the new checkbox will only be visible on Firefox Options page if the secret preference/flag mentioned in METHOD 1 is set to True.

BONUS TIP: You can also select “Check for updates but let you choose to install them” option to force Firefox to always notify you before downloading or installing any new version update.

METHOD 3: Using Task Scheduler Program in Windows

To make the new Background Update feature working and possible, Firefox automatically creates a new scheduled task in Windows operating system to automatically check for new version updates in background.

You can delete or disable the scheduled task using Task Scheduler program as well:

PS: The scheduled task will only present in Windows if the above mentioned preferences are enabled in Firefox.

1. Press WIN+R keys together to launch RUN dialog box, type taskschd.msc and press Enter. It’ll open Task Scheduler.

2. Now click on “Task Scheduler Library -> Mozilla” in left-sidebar and look for following task in right-side pane:

3. Right-click on the above mentioned task and select Disable option.

That’s it. Now Firefox will never check for new version updates automatically in background.

PS: If you are wondering what is the other “Firefox Default Browser Agent” task available in Task Scheduler, following article will assist you:

[Tip] Disable “Default Browser Agent” After Installing Mozilla Firefox

METHOD 4: Using Firefox Policy or Registry Editor

Administrators can also deploy new Firefox policy to block new Background Update feature in Firefox.

Following Registry tweak will allow you to implement Firefox policy to prevent/restrict new Background Update functionality in Firefox:

1. Press WIN+R keys together to launch RUN dialog box. Now type regedit and press Enter. It’ll open Registry Editor.

2. Now go to following key:

3. Create a new key under Policies key and set its name as Mozilla

4. Select Mozilla key and create another new key under Mozilla key and set its name as Firefox

So the final key path will be:

5. Select Firefox key and in right-side pane, create a new DWORD BackgroundAppUpdate and set its value to 0

That’s it. It’ll disable Background Update feature in Firefox.

Also Check:

[Tip] Block Firefox to Download Updates Using BITS on Windows

How to Disable or Remove GoogleUpdate.exe Background Process After Installing Google Chrome in Windows

How to Disable or Remove MicrosoftEdgeUpdate.exe Process Running in Task Manager?

[Tip] How to Disable or Block Auto-Update Feature (Opera_AutoUpdate.exe) in Opera