Android: Choose Whether Apps Download Over Wi-Fi or Mobile Data

The Play Store checks one setting every time you tap Install or Update: the App download preference. This decides whether an app can be pulled over mobile data, only over Wi-Fi, or if the Play Store should ask each time before starting a download.

If this preference is set to allow any network, larger app updates can quietly use up your mobile data, especially with auto-updates running in the background. If it is locked to Wi-Fi only, downloads simply pause and wait until a Wi-Fi connection is available, even if you have plenty of mobile data left.

To change it, open Play Store and tap on your Google Account icon. Go to Settings, then Network preferences, and select App download preference. Pick Over any network, Over Wi-Fi only, or Ask me every time, then confirm with OK.

Ask me every time is the safest option if you switch between limited and unlimited data plans often, since it puts you in control before every larger download. Over Wi-Fi only makes sense on a tight data plan, but it can delay urgent app installs when you are away from a router. This setting only applies to Play Store downloads and updates, not to in-app content or streaming inside other apps.