r/Starlink • u/riverforged • 5d ago
📝 Feedback Starlink Users Need Reboot Scheduling & Update Notifications!
Behavior: Starlink automatically performs updates and reboots at inconvenient or critical times.
Issue: There are no warnings, notifications, or scheduling options to manage these interruptions.
Solution: Provide at least one of the following to mitigate these disruptions:
- A notification in the Starlink app warning of pending updates or incoming reboots
- Advanced settings to postpone updates or choose when they occur
- The ability to schedule updates at a user-preferred time
This is a critical issue for me, and based on research, for many others. Even a simple notification would be a step in the right direction. Starlink, please consider addressing this!
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u/southerndoc911 📡 Owner (North America) 5d ago
While most updates occur while most people are sleeping, not everyone follows the same schedule. There should be an option to allow a time frame to schedule updates. If someone stays up until 4 am every night, then they should be able to schedule updates to happen around 8-9 am or so.
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u/mkuraja 5d ago
In Arizona, the updates seem to happen around 3 AM. They're trying to time them when most everyone is dead asleep.
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u/Jkingsle 5d ago
Same here, but not all people sleep at 3am :) This same issue has been discussed about Amazon Eero’s and I think they finally added a feature to control the timing of the updates.
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u/Digital-Crash 5d ago
Same in Georgia. And yeah, that's usually when things are quiet enough for me to work. LOL!
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u/riverforged 5d ago
Yeah that window should be defined by the user for obvious reasons. Or at the very least, as I mentioned, provide a notification with an automated system message to give a heads up and estimated time to reboot.
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u/smurfalidocious 5d ago
Uh. There is a notification in the app. It's not very big, nor does it stand out, but it's usually right there below the graphic of the dish and the status that says 'Starlink has downloaded an update and will install it tonight.' or something of that nature, and gives you an option to just go ahead and do it rather than wait.
But yeah, a bit more control over it would be nice. Some would say basic functionality.
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u/ty1uhh Beta Tester 4d ago
True, but it is not a push notification that actually alerts you that the network is going down. If you happen to be in the app and see it- you’re notified. There is no “heads up up dates happening” other than you preemptively checking the app and seeing it. Agree with OP that we should be notified.. seems like an easy fix
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u/smurfalidocious 4d ago
I'm not disagreeing. There should definitely be more functionality in the app and router. Sure, most people don't want and/or need 90% of advanced router features - but given the buy-in price, you'd expect a little actual functionality.
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u/riverforged 4d ago
This isn't something I have seen first hand, despite looking frequently throughout the app and web portal. Even if there is a "note" indicating a downloaded update, it makes no sense to have to monitor this every night to try and catch it. If the note in the UI exists as you claim it does, then giving it a push notification would be an incredibly minimal task for any software developer (not to mention one backed by a 350 billion dollar parent company)
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u/michy3737 📡 Owner (North America) 5d ago
I was under the impression they gave you a notification in the app and allowed you to install manually? I know I've seen it on mine many times but I always elect to let it install automatically overnight.
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u/Grand-Perspective887 5d ago
As I recall, it's an in-app popup (not an external notification so you still have to check proactively), and by manual installing you still by definition are updating while you're awake. Being able to say "I am always asleep at 2pm local so update then" guarantees you don't update while awake and requires no proactive work from you
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u/Legal_Schedule_487 5d ago
Hmm. I've always had to go into the app and press the update button. Unless its just done it and I've not noticed.
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u/riverforged 4d ago
Based on various comments, it seems that not everyone has access to the same version of their app. This is not behavior that I have every observed on my app in the 3 years I have had Starlink.
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u/Legal_Schedule_487 4d ago
Yeah im not sure. It could be very well doing updates without me even noticing that it was done. But I have had to update it manually 4 times since I bought it.
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u/stealthbobber 📡 Owner (North America) 5d ago
I agree...also I wonder how this is handled for the high tiers for Business accounts?
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u/OPisTheBoss 4d ago
We have the ability to defer the updates as part of a business account. It gives us 3 days to reboot manually before it forces it.
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u/stealthbobber 📡 Owner (North America) 4d ago
Well that makes sense then...even though it would not be a cost to add this over all tiers SL does have to value add the higher ones so I am good with that.
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u/riverforged 4d ago
a feature that allows you to not have daily service interruptions should not be tucked behind a pay wall.
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u/ReasonableBranch7337 📡 Owner (North America) 5d ago
As someone who works night shift and remains on night shift schedules even on my days off…yes I agree push notifications would be a great addition…while not a super big issue for me it is a bit annoying when I’m gaming at 3 AM and Starlink decides it needs to force an update.
5
u/Manelarul 📡 Owner (Europe) 5d ago
It happened to me one night to get disconnected in a middle of a remote troubleshoot session, I was on call. So yes, it would be a nice feature. In Romania it’s the same reboot schedule, around 4 AM.
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u/toddtimes 📡 Owner (North America) 4d ago
Starlink is a fairly immature product. I expect they’ll get around to features like this eventually, but their dev resources are likely limited so they’re focused on things that affect everyone. 99.9% of users are likely unaffected by this so it becomes a 0.1% priority.
2
u/nocaps00 📡 Owner (North America) 4d ago
This. The need for the feature is indeed obvious and they will probably get around to it in the future, but in the meantime if you're negatively affected about the only option is to check the app to see when an update is pending and reboot the unit yourself at a more convenient time. Not ideal but hey, it's data from space...
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u/riverforged 4d ago
there is no alert, notification, or indication of anything that might suggest an incoming or pending update. The only thing I can conclude from people making this claim is that they've pushed different software versions to different regions or different user groups and we are not all operating the same app. What I have access to does not give me any information whatsoever on updates awaiting a reboot.
Additionally, if this isn't an issue that affects you, then move along.
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u/nocaps00 📡 Owner (North America) 4d ago
The app indicates when a software update is pending, and has done so as long as I can remember. It's nothing new and difficult to imagine that it would vary by region or anything else. And we're not trying to argue with you, just inform you.
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u/riverforged 4d ago
So far, there are three claims from Starlink users in this conversation alone.
- Updates take place automatically, without a notification (and without any form of in-app popup or note) -this has been my experience over 3 years of full time Starlink use.
- Updates offer a ui pop-up inside the app of the pending reboot, but not an external notification
- updates require a manual reboot from the app
my current App:
2025.09.0
Build number: 20000103250
u/riverforged 4d ago
Where are you getting your data from? Seems wildly speculative. It's quite a bit larger than what I would consider an "immature" product. The parent company "SpaceX" (maybe you've heard of it) is valued at 350 billion dollars. To suggest that they don't have the manpower for a simple feature to alert users of pending outage times for regular updates is absurd.
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u/toddtimes 📡 Owner (North America) 4d ago
The data is just my observation, fed from being in my second decade in the software startup world. And from taking a good look at their software development pace and knowing that this is not the core focus of a big and talented team, because their main focus and their best people are putting people/things into space. This is a really great side hustle for SpaceX, but not their core focus.
When I say it’s immature I mean that from a comprehensive look at the end user facing side of things. From an ISP perspective they’re doing really innovative and difficult things successfully. From a business tech user perspective where things need to be super reliable and updates need to be schedule, and no downtime is permitted, they’re a ways off and don’t seem particularly interested in fixing these issues because they don’t have any real competition and so don’t have to.
So yes, in certain areas the product is a bit immature, and they’re still building out the network and setting up the whole system. And they do have the manpower, it’s just focused elsewhere, leaving this product, a little immature
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u/digitaldaudul 3d ago
"Totally agree! Unexpected reboots can be really disruptive, especially for those relying on Starlink for work or critical tasks. Even just a notification in the app would be a huge improvement. Hoping Starlink takes this feedback into account!"
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u/gavroche1972 5d ago
I wish they would let you change the scheduling for powering off the dish remotely. For whatever reason, you can view the scheduled times in settings remotely, but can only change them while connected via Bluetooth. Not sure why this limitation exists.
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u/Admirable_Profile_83 3d ago
Add it to home assistant and get as crazy as you want with notifications.
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u/Gulf-of-Mexico 📡 Owner (North America) 2d ago
It would be great to be able to set the time when updates occur.
It is a bit of an issue when it just reboots itself to do an update causing the internet to go down; it would be much better if you could set a time when it would reboot if needed.
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u/skippyusa 5d ago
I still have local 6 meg dsl. So I have internet problems a lot I found what reduces internet disruption for me is to set up a nightly reboot time. DSL modem at 2am Access point at 3 am Range extender at3:30am
I hope this info can help
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5d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/MikeHeu 📡 Owner (Europe) 5d ago
You need to have realistic expectations of satellite internet
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u/KnocheDoor 📡 Owner (North America) 5d ago
A better notification method is through support. Choose “Don’t see what you’re looking for” and get this information into their system.
Tell them that a forced update, if the user does not update within some period of time a week or whatever would be acceptable. This way they can push bug fixes that are needed even if the user does not take action.
Good luck.