Windows 11 Wants to End App Update Pop-Ups - Here's How to Update All Your Apps at Once Today

Windows 11 is testing one place to update all your apps, but you can already do it today with one built-in command.

A new App updates page has shown up in a Windows 11 26H2 preview build.

It isn't working yet, so here is what it will do and how to stop the pop-ups now.

What Windows 11 Is Testing

Today, Windows Update and the Microsoft Store only cover Microsoft's own apps and Store apps.

Everything you install from a website - VLC, Chrome, Firefox, a codec pack - checks for updates on its own, with its own pop-up.

The new page sits at Settings > Apps > App updates. The idea is that app makers sign their apps up, and Windows then checks for and installs their updates for you, at a time that suits your PC.

• It is empty for now. On test PCs the page says "No app providers are currently registered" and the Check for updates button is greyed out.
• Apps have to opt in. Each developer must add support for it, so it only helps once your favourite apps join.
• No date yet. Microsoft first announced the plan in 2025 and hasn't said when it ships.

Update All Your Apps at Once Today

You don't have to wait. Windows 11 already includes winget, a free Microsoft tool that can update most popular apps in one go.

1. Open Terminal. Right-click the Start button and choose Terminal (Admin), then click Yes.
2. See what's out of date. Type winget upgrade and press Enter - you get a list of apps with newer versions.
3. Update everything. Type winget upgrade --all and press Enter, then let it work through the list.
4. Accept once if asked. The first time, winget may ask you to agree to its source terms - type Y and press Enter.

Make Your Main Apps Update Quietly

For the apps you use every day, a one-time settings change stops most nagging.

• VLC Media Player - go to Tools > Preferences > Interface and set how often the update check runs, or use Help > Check for Updates when it suits you.
• Mozilla Firefox - in Settings > General, under Firefox updates, pick "Automatically install updates" so it updates on restart.
• Google Chrome - it already updates itself in the background. Open the menu, then Help > About Google Chrome to finish a pending update.
• Apps you rarely open - a torrent client or a file converter you use twice a year misses updates the longest. The winget command above catches those too.

Codec packs need updating too, because new formats and player fixes arrive through them. The K-Lite Codec Pack Update brings an existing install up to date without a full reinstall.

Quick questions