Disabling the update nag (Skip button doesn't work)

  • Ever since the new version was released, Flux 3 repeatedly shows an update nag, and the Skip button does not work (clicking it doesn't close the dialog, and if closed by clicking × it eventually reappears).

    0_1508383245432_Update nag.png

    This is despite the option to Install updates automatically being disabled. I did not realize this program would phone home regularly and there's no way to disable it.

    For anyone else who also finds it annoying, the solution: [Removed per moderator request]

    Note: I posted this in the V3 to V4 update thread as it pertains to the update, however it was deleted without any explanation. In any case, it's certainly not off-topic here, in the V3 forum. If you have a community forum, you shouldn't be afraid of user feedback.

  • f.lux team

    You are seeing update prompts for each version of v4 that is released. The skip functionality does indeed work.

    We'd like you not to post here how to disable f.lux's online features, because we have to support it for many millions of people, and this is the way we avoid doing it all over email.

  • @herf said in Disabling the update nag (Skip button doesn't work):


    Thank you for your response.

    Just to confirm that I understand correctly: so, even if I don't want to install updates automatically, I still have to be prompted about every single one of them, and there is no way to opt out of this by design?

    The skip functionality does indeed work.

    When I click the Skip button, it doesn't close the dialog. So I have to choose either Update Now or Later but I'd like to choose Never.


    I've edited my previous post accordingly.

  • f.lux team

    We may need to do another v3 build that will prompt less, but the production build is intended to update to v4. It's just taking us a while to roll it out.

    Without talking about features, the trouble mainly is that v3 is basically unsupportable as it is, because new drivers are making color APIs 100-1000x as expensive as they were before, so we've had to be very careful to avoid slowing down machines.

  • @herf For the record, I do not oppose updates on principle, I just like to install them on my own schedule, and when I'm in the middle of something else (i.e. most of the time) I'd rather not have any pop-ups appearing and distracting me.

    Thanks again, and have a great day.

  • f.lux team

    Ok, as a test I have posted a new v3 installer (v3.17), and told our updater not to update it.


  • Why not let users manage this behavior in settings? Personally I find software automatically updating without giving the user controls to manage it, annoying.

    Also, why does instructions to manually disable auto updating behavior need to be hidden in obscurity? I am still on v3. Is the option to manage the auto updating in v4 present?

  • f.lux team

    If you missed the notes above, the 3.17 build does not update to v4. You can download it at https://justgetflux.com/flux-setup3.exe

    The older v3 version we shipped in 2012 will prompt every time we post a new v4 build.

    As for your question: the idea with automatic update is simple: we are halfway between a video driver and an app. So this isn't a question about which features or UI you prefer (though updates include new features) - it's our responsibility to keep f.lux from messing up your screen with the latest Windows update or video drivers, or at least to tell you that there is a fix. Right now we're fixing a problem due to Windows 10 changes, and we've done numerous fixes like this during beta releases.

    For people in corporate environments/etc. where automatic update is risky, we also have a paid corporate build, where we email you, instead of updating automatically. But the idea is the same, we want a way to fix things that don't work.

  • Thanks for taking the effort to reply.

    However, I am not questioning the purpose/usefulness of the concept of automatic updates. I am questioning why this is not designed with letting the user be in control of it.

    In my humble opinion, the checking and notifying about updated version should both be configurable in settings.

    Anyway, I'll have a look at upgrading my 3.10 to 3.17.