Prevent Android Market From Updating

For some, there are a number of problems when the Market updates. Some experience freezes, while others may prefer the old layout. Even worse, some no longer have access to the same apps they once did. In any case, there are some out there who just don’t want that Market to update.

XDA forum member lexelby may have come up with a solution to this problem. It’s a method that should be universally compatible with all Android devices. All you need is a rooted phone to get started.

The method is simple, and only takes a few minutes to execute. Basically, it’s just a few commands in the terminal emulator and you’re good to go.

Do “uninstall updates” on the market app (in “manage applications”).
Open the terminal app.
Run “su” to become root.
Run: touch /data/app/com.android.vending-1.apk
Run: chattr +i /data/app/com.android.vending-1.apk

Once done, the Market should be back to its original version that came with the device, and the unwanted update shouldn’t come back. According to lexelby:

This will put a bogus APK file in the way of where Android wants to put the new version. The chattr command makes the file “immutable”, so that even root can’t remove it. Just setting it read only with chmod isn’t enough.

Of course, you’ll need to have busybox installed as well in order to get the chattr command, so make sure that’s on your to do list before attempting.

For those who want to give this a shot, you can check out the original thread for additional info and discussion. As usual, make a backup just in case. You just never know.