Applies to: Windows 10 and Windows 11 devices managed via Group Policy or MDM (including devices managed by Swif).
To understand more about the Windows Update policy, you can find it at Configuring Windows OS Update Policies in Swif.
Issue Overview
On Windows 10/11 devices managed by an organization, the “Get the latest updates as soon as they’re available” toggle under Settings > Windows Update appears Off and greyed out (disabled). Administrators using Swif may notice end-users cannot enable this toggle on their devices, even though automatic updates have been enabled via policy.
Why Is This Toggle Disabled?
This behavior is by design when Windows Update is controlled through Group Policy or MDM (such as policies pushed by Swif). In managed environments, Windows disables certain user-controlled update settings to prevent conflicts with organization-defined policies. The “Get the latest updates as soon as they’re available” toggle is one of those settings that becomes locked when update policies are applied.
Group Policy Influence: When an admin deploys Windows Update policies, Windows will enforce those settings and remove end-user control. For example, if the “Enable optional updates” policy is not configured to allow user choice, Windows will automatically turn Off the “Get the latest updates…” toggle and disable it in the UI (Configure Windows Update for Business via Group Policy | Microsoft Learn). This ensures users cannot override the organization’s intended update strategy.
Swif Policy: In Swif, enabling Automatic Updates via policy triggers the equivalent Group Policy settings on the device (such as Configure Automatic Updates). Windows will grey out the option. In short, the presence of any managed update policy (via Swif or GPO) can cause certain toggles to be non-interactive, which is expected.
What Does “Get the Latest Updates as Soon as They’re Available” Actually Do?
It’s important to understand what this toggle controls. It does not affect core security or critical updates – those will be delivered regardless of this setting. Instead, this option is about how quickly a device receives non-security updates, feature enhancements, and preview releases:
When On, the device will receive the latest optional non-security updates, fixes, and feature improvements as soon as Microsoft releases them for that device (often as part of preview or phased rollouts).
When Off, the device will still receive all required updates, but some non-security feature updates may be delayed until the broader rollout (the device won’t be “fast-tracked” for these optional updates).
Crucially, turning this toggle Off does not stop regular Windows Update from functioning. Microsoft documentation confirms that whether the toggle is Off or On, devices continue to get normal security updates on schedule – the toggle only governs additional non-security updates and how early you get them (Get Windows updates as soon as they're available for your device - Microsoft Support). In other words, automatic updates for security patches and quality fixes remain enabled via your Swif policy; the disabled toggle simply means the device isn’t opting into early feature updates beyond your organization’s policy.
Why This Behavior is Expected in Managed Environments
When IT administrators manage updates through tools like Swif, they often set specific Windows Update policies (mirroring Group Policy for Windows Update for Business). By enforcing these policies, organizations ensure devices are updated according to company standards (for example, automatically installing updates during off-hours, deferring certain updates, etc.). As a side effect, Windows indicates that some settings are managed by your organization and prevents users from changing them.
Specifically for the “Get the latest updates as soon as they’re available” setting:
Organization Control: In an enterprise setting, early access to feature updates is typically a decision for IT, not end-users. Windows reflects this by disabling the toggle on managed devices. This is normal and not a bug. It prevents confusion, so users don’t think they need to enable it – the organization’s policies will handle update timing.
Optional Updates via Policy: Microsoft introduced an “Enable optional updates” policy that lets administrators control those preview/feature updates. Depending on how this is configured, the toggle will either be locked On, locked Off, or user-choice. In many cases, if the admin has not specifically enabled early updates, the default is that optional updates aren’t auto-installed and the toggle stays Off/disabled (Configure Windows Update for Business via Group Policy | Microsoft Learn).
Verifying Automatic Updates Are Enabled (Configured Update Policies)
Even though the “latest updates” toggle is disabled, you should verify that core automatic updates are in fact enabled and enforced on the device (as intended by your policy). Windows provides a way to review which update policies are active:
Open Settings on the device. Go to Windows Update (on Windows 11, this is under Settings > Windows Update; on Windows 10, under Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update).
Click Advanced options. Scroll down and look for a section called “Configured update policies”. (On Windows 10, this might appear as a link or text stating some settings are managed by your organization.)
Under Configured update policies, review the list of policies that are set on the device.
Confirm the Automatic Updates policy value. The Configure automatic updates policy will typically have a value indicating how updates install:
Value: 3 – Auto download and notify for install (as shown above) means Windows will auto-download updates and notify the user before installing (a common policy setting).
Other values (e.g., Auto install on schedule or Auto install & restart during maintenance) might appear depending on how you set the policy in Swif.
The key is that this policy is present, confirming that automatic updates are indeed enabled via policy (so the device will get updates on its own).
You may also see other related policies (like “Get updates for other Microsoft products” enabled, as in the screenshot, or deferral policies if configured). These are further evidence that the device’s updates are controlled by policy.
If the Configured update policies section shows the expected entries from your Swif policy, then automatic updates are correctly enabled on the device. The grayed-out toggle for “latest updates” is simply indicating that early optional updates are not user-configurable – which aligns with the policy in effect.
Key Takeaways
Disabled Toggle = Expected Behavior: When using Swif or Group Policy to manage Windows Updates, the “Get the latest updates as soon as they’re available” toggle in Windows Update settings will often be locked Off. This is normal for managed devices and does not indicate a problem.
Core Updates Unaffected: A disabled “Get the latest updates” toggle does not mean updates are turned off. Critical security patches and quality updates will continue to install as configured by your policies. The device will stay up-to-date per your automatic update settings.
What’s Actually Disabled: The greyed-out toggle only pertains to early access of non-security (optional) updates (like preview releases or feature rollouts). In a managed environment, those are typically handled by the admin or delivered on Microsoft’s standard schedule. Microsoft assures that regular security updates will still arrive as usual regardless of this setting (Get Windows updates as soon as they're available for your device - Microsoft Support).
Verify via Configured Policies: IT admins can double-check that their intended update policies are applied by reviewing the Configured update policies in Windows Settings. This provides peace of mind that, even though an end-user sees a disabled toggle, the underlying automatic update policy is active.