You can stop a download on Android easily in most cases. If you tapped the wrong button and the app started downloading and didn’t get to stop it in time, you can still delete it, or as a last resort, you can reset your device.
We’re going to show you how to stop downloads or Android in any smartphone or tablet running Android 7.0 or later versions.
How to stop a download on Android phone or tablet
Stop download from Google Play Store
Google Play Store has many apps that tend to look similar in resemblance like popular apps so you’ll come across many knockoffs that aren’t what you want. If you tap Install accidentally, you can tap X next to the progress bar to stop the download immediately.
Stop downloads from an app
If you’re downloading from an app like a messaging or browser, you may not have a straightforward way of stopping or pausing the download. You can however turn off your WiFi or enable Airplane/flight mode or even switch off the phone.
A third party file manager offers better options as to how to stop a download on Android.
Prevent app downloads
If you tend to download apps unintentionally on your Android phone or tablet, you can restrict app downloads from certain apps or all of them. You could for example access an app store from Chrome browser, and this could put you and your security at risk, so it’s a good idea to restrict the downloads.
Install unknown apps settings
To do this:
- Open Settings
- Tap Apps & Notifications
- Select Advanced
- Tap Special app access
- Select Install unknown apps. This is turned off by default but scan your apps list to ensure it states, “Not allowed” next to each app
You can prevent file downloads by doing this:
- Open Settings
- Tap Apps & Notifications
- Now tap the name of the app in the list
- Tap Permissions
- Toggle Storage off
Delete apps and downloads
To do this:
- Open Settings
- Go to Apps & Notifications
- Find the app you want to delete from the list
- Tap the name of the app
- Now tap Uninstall
If you want to delete any files you downloaded by mistake, do this:
- Open Settings
- Go to Storage>Free up space
- Tap Downloads. A list of files will be displayed and they’re all selected. Uncheck the boxes for the files you want to keep
- Tap Free up X MB/GB (you’ll see how much storage you can get back)
- Tap free up space on the popup that appears
Reset your Android device
If you want to stop a download on Android and none of the above steps helped, you can do a factory reset as a last resort method. Downloads can slow down your phone or disable its functions, so a reset will restore it back to the original state it was when you bought it and you can download the apps you want again.
Elsie is a tech writer with 8+ years professional experience. For Tech News Watch, she brings rich experience contributing to topics such as Windows, MacOS, Android, and iOS among others. In her spare time, she loves checking out the latest tech trends, gadgets, and news, listening to music and cars.
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