No more getting interrupted by a sudden Windows 11 update during an important meeting or game. Microsoft announced big changes coming to Windows Update on its blog, including the option to pause Windows updates for as long as users want, 35 days at a time.
To give users more power over their devices, Windows Update now lets you extend update pauses as much as you like. Once you choose to pause updates for Windows 11, you won’t be bothered for 35 days.
The new feature allows you to reset this 35-day limit repeatedly, effectively pausing updates indefinitely. While you should eventually install these updates, as many are for security and sometimes fix urgent issues, Microsoft is now letting users decide exactly when to do it.
Microsoft’s Aria Hanson wrote in the blog that these changes came from user feedback, which often mentioned “disruption caused by untimely updates and not enough control over when updates happen.”
Beyond just pausing updates, Microsoft is also making sure Windows 11 users can always choose to shut down or restart their devices without having to update first.
These improvements, designed to make daily life easier, build on another recent change that allowed users to skip updates when setting up new Windows devices. Microsoft says these latest Windows Update features are currently rolling out to people in the Windows Insider program, specifically those in the Dev and Experimental Channels. This increased control is a significant step by Microsoft to address long-standing frustrations many users have had with forced updates, aiming to create a more user-friendly experience for Windows 11.
