Electrum Mobile Version Auto update?

[BitMaxz]

Is the mobile version of Electrum auto-updating? I noticed my watch-only wallet was updated to the latest version without my consent.

I check the settings where I can disable the auto-update feature; I don't want the auto-update feature because before I update to the latest version, I need to verify its signature first before installing the update.

Network, Preferences, and About: There's no option to turn off this auto-update. I'm just afraid that we might receive an update from the attacker without us noticing.

[PX-Z]

It depends on your download source, the app itself don't auto update (as per my research). If you downloaded electrum from play store and your PS settings have auto-update apps then it will, unless otherwise. So i recommend installing it from their .apk, then you can check its signature.

[Cookdata]

Network, Preferences, and About: There's no option to turn off this auto-update. I'm just afraid that we might receive an update from the attacker without us noticing.

Electrum does not have an auto update installation, it needs your permission to do it. If you enabled an auto update for electrum, it will update itself when a new version is released on the Google play store.

You should disable the auto update, it will wait next time until you manually update it to the latest version.

[coinlary]

I think that's the handiwork of play store. Same here it hijacked and update my manual installation until I had to stop auto update from the play store settings.

It depends on your download source, the app itself don't auto update (as per my research).

If you install it manually play store will automatically add and track it as installed and it will push an update to it if the auto update is on. Unless this is only happening to me or brand but that was what I also experienced.

[mikel_012]

The app is distributed by the play store. You can disable auto updates in the play store settings, but this will disable the updates for ALL apps, and this can leave your app in an old version that does not work or has any vulnerability

If you download only the apk directly, there is no auto update. The app can not have this capability.

1. Go to https://electrum.org/#download
2. Download the apk under the Android binaries section

[nc50lc]

-snip- I don't want the auto-update feature because before I update to the latest version, I need to verify its signature first before installing the update.

From this context, it suggests that you've initially installed it via apk binary distributed in their website because you can't verify the signature if you installed it from Google Playstore.
Then, you expected that Playstore can't install over it just like the majority of the apps.

For Electrum, it's different,
The release binaries can be updated by Playstore since its binaries are the same for the download page and Playstore.
(given that you've installed the correct matching binary)

So its auto-update (as others have mentioned) will affect Electrum if you left it enabled.

[Charles-Tim]

Some people have given you these suggestions, if you do not want the Electrum app to be automatically updating itself, download the Electrum from the Electrum official site.

Or you can go to Play Store if that is where you downloaded it from. Click on the logo of your email at the top right corner -> settings -> network preferences -> auto-update app -> don't auto-update apps.

If you go for the second one, all your other apps will not update automatically, but you will be notified as the apps to be updated are getting many.

[joniboini]

Some people have given you these suggestions, if you do not want the Electrum app to be automatically updating itself, download the Electrum from the Electrum official site.

From nc post above, this doesn't seem to be the case, as in PlayStore will auto update the app unless you turn the feature off (so where you download your APK from doesn't matter). Am I misunderstanding something here? Makes me wonder which apps have the different binaries and why they're doing that though.

[Charles-Tim]

From nc post above, this doesn't seem to be the case, as in PlayStore will auto update the app unless you turn the feature off (so where you download your APK from doesn't matter). Am I misunderstanding something here? Makes me wonder which apps have the different binaries and why they're doing that though.

The Electrum phone setting on the left image below from a device. The Electrum is downloaded from the Play Store. At the lowest part, is the app details which is not in gray because you can click on it and it will take you to the Play Store for updates. The Electrum was downloaded on the Play Store.

The Electrum phone setting from the right from another device. The Electrum is downloaded from a browser. The app details is in gray and not clickable. Which means it will not take you to Play Store which indicated that it is not downloaed from Play Store. But you can go to Play Store to update it, which you should not if you do not want what happened to BitMaxz to happen to you.


   


The mistake I think BitMaxz did is that he later go to Play Store to do the updates and the automatic update started. The gray out wallet details will also not be gray anymore as he did that and it will become clickable.


For the Electrum downloaded from Play Store, another way around if he wants only Electrum not to auto update and he can do it to other apps. He should do this:

On the Play Store, he should click on the Electrum menu (the three dot at the upper right corner of Electrum) and disable the update as you can see in the image below. It will not affect other apps update.