feat(updater): option to not restart after install

.changes/updater-install-no-restart.md

@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+---
+"updater": minor
+"updater-js": minor
+---
+
+On Windows, add a new option `restartAfterInstall`/`restart_after_install` to install an update without the installer re-launching the app

examples/api/src-tauri/tauri.conf.json

@@ -77,7 +77,9 @@
     },
     "updater": {
       "pubkey": "dW50cnVzdGVkIGNvbW1lbnQ6IG1pbmlzaWduIHB1YmxpYyBrZXk6IDE5QzMxNjYwNTM5OEUwNTgKUldSWTRKaFRZQmJER1h4d1ZMYVA3dnluSjdpN2RmMldJR09hUFFlZDY0SlFqckkvRUJhZDJVZXAK",
+      "dangerousInsecureTransportProtocol": true,
       "endpoints": [
+        "http://localhost:5173/updater-test/updater.json",
         "https://tauri-update-server.vercel.app/update/{{target}}/{{current_version}}"
       ]
     }
@@ -99,6 +101,9 @@
             "localePath": "locales/pt-BR.wxl"
           }
         }
+      },
+      "nsis": {
+        "compression": "none"
       }
     },
     "iOS": {

examples/api/src/views/Updater.svelte

@@ -1,12 +1,17 @@
-<script>
-  import { check } from '@tauri-apps/plugin-updater'
+<script lang="ts">
+  import { check, Update } from '@tauri-apps/plugin-updater'
   import { relaunch } from '@tauri-apps/plugin-process'
 
-  export let onMessage
+  let { onMessage } = $props()
 
-  let isChecking, isInstalling, newUpdate
-  let totalSize = 0,
-    downloadedSize = 0
+  let isChecking = $state(false)
+  let isInstalling = $state(false)
+  let newUpdate: Update = $state()
+  let totalSize = $state(0)
+  let downloadedSize = $state(0)
+  let progress = $derived(
+    totalSize ? Math.round((downloadedSize / totalSize) * 100) : 0
+  )
 
   async function checkUpdate() {
     isChecking = true
@@ -53,15 +58,13 @@
       isInstalling = false
     }
   }
-
-  $: progress = totalSize ? Math.round((downloadedSize / totalSize) * 100) : 0
 </script>
 
 <div class="flex children:grow children:h10">
   {#if !isChecking && !newUpdate}
-    <button class="btn" on:click={checkUpdate}>Check update</button>
+    <button class="btn" onclick={checkUpdate}>Check update</button>
   {:else if !isInstalling && newUpdate}
-    <button class="btn" on:click={install}>Install update</button>
+    <button class="btn" onclick={install}>Install update</button>
   {:else}
     <div class="progress">
       <span>{progress}%</span>

examples/api/updater-test/.gitignore

@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+*
+
+!.gitignore
+!README.md
+!updater.json

examples/api/updater-test/README.md

@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+To test the updater:
+
+1. Comment out `verify_signature` inside `plugins/updater/src/updater.rs`
+2. Run `pnpm tauri build --debug` to build the bundles
+3. Copy the bundle you want to test to this folder (`examples/api/updater-test/`)
+4. Run `pnpm tauri dev` and open the Updater tab to check
+
+If the bundle you're testing doesn't exist in the `updater.json` yet, add it manually and welcome to open an PR
+
+> The `updater.json` and debug bundles will be served by `vite`

examples/api/updater-test/updater.json

@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+{
+  "version": "2.1.0",
+  "notes": "Test update!",
+  "pub_date": "2026-03-01T14:04:20+00:00",
+  "platforms": {
+    "windows-x86_64": {
+      "signature": "",
+      "url": "http://localhost:5173/updater-test/Tauri API_2.0.0_x64_en-US.msi"
+    }
+  }
+}

examples/api/vite.config.js

@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ export default defineConfig(async () => {
       port: 5173,
       strictPort: true,
       fs: {
-        allow: ['.', '../../tooling/api/dist']
+        allow: ['.']
       }
     }
   }

plugins/updater/guest-js/index.ts

@@ -40,6 +40,14 @@ interface DownloadOptions {
   timeout?: number
 }
 
+/** Options used when installing an update */
+interface InstallOptions {
+  /**
+   * If the Windows installer should restart the app after installed, default is `true`
+   */
+  restartAfterInstall?: boolean
+}
+
 interface UpdateMetadata {
   rid: number
   currentVersion: string
@@ -95,14 +103,15 @@ class Update extends Resource {
   }
 
   /** Install downloaded updater package */
-  async install(): Promise<void> {
+  async install(options?: InstallOptions): Promise<void> {
     if (!this.downloadedBytes) {
       throw new Error('Update.install called before Update.download')
     }
 
     await invoke('plugin:updater|install', {
       updateRid: this.rid,
-      bytesRid: this.downloadedBytes.rid
+      bytesRid: this.downloadedBytes.rid,
+      ...options
     })
 
     // Don't need to call close, we did it in rust side already
@@ -112,7 +121,7 @@ class Update extends Resource {
   /** Downloads the updater package and installs it */
   async downloadAndInstall(
     onEvent?: (progress: DownloadEvent) => void,
-    options?: DownloadOptions
+    options?: DownloadOptions & InstallOptions
   ): Promise<void> {
     convertToRustHeaders(options)
     const channel = new Channel<DownloadEvent>()

plugins/updater/src/commands.rs

@@ -142,12 +142,22 @@ pub(crate) async fn install<R: Runtime>(
     webview: Webview<R>,
     update_rid: ResourceId,
     bytes_rid: ResourceId,
+    restart_after_install: Option<bool>,
 ) -> Result<()> {
     let update = webview.resources_table().get::<Update>(update_rid)?;
     let bytes = webview
         .resources_table()
         .get::<DownloadedBytes>(bytes_rid)?;
-    update.install(&bytes.0)?;
+
+    if let Some(restart_after_install) = restart_after_install {
+        let update = (*update).clone();
+        update
+            .restart_after_install(restart_after_install)
+            .install(&bytes.0)?;
+    } else {
+        update.install(&bytes.0)?;
+    }
+
     let _ = webview.resources_table().close(bytes_rid);
     Ok(())
 }
@@ -159,6 +169,7 @@ pub(crate) async fn download_and_install<R: Runtime>(
     on_event: Channel<DownloadEvent>,
     headers: Option<Vec<(String, String)>>,
     timeout: Option<u64>,
+    restart_after_install: Option<bool>,
 ) -> Result<()> {
     let update = webview.resources_table().get::<Update>(rid)?;
 
@@ -176,6 +187,10 @@ pub(crate) async fn download_and_install<R: Runtime>(
         update.timeout = Some(Duration::from_millis(timeout));
     }
 
+    if let Some(restart_after_install) = restart_after_install {
+        update = update.restart_after_install(restart_after_install);
+    }
+
     let mut first_chunk = true;
 
     update

plugins/updater/src/config.rs

@@ -32,17 +32,30 @@ impl WindowsUpdateInstallMode {
         }
     }
 
+    #[cfg(windows)]
+    pub(crate) fn msi_restart_after_install_args(&self) -> &'static [&'static str] {
+        &["AUTOLAUNCHAPP=True"]
+    }
+
     /// Returns the associated nsis arguments.
     pub fn nsis_args(&self) -> &'static [&'static str] {
         // `/P`: Passive
         // `/S`: Silent
         // `/R`: Restart
         match self {
-            Self::Passive => &["/P", "/R"],
-            Self::Quiet => &["/S", "/R"],
+            Self::Passive => &["/P"],
+            Self::Quiet => &["/S"],
             _ => &[],
         }
     }
+
+    #[cfg(windows)]
+    pub(crate) fn nsis_restart_after_install_args(&self) -> &'static [&'static str] {
+        match self {
+            Self::BasicUi => &[],
+            _ => &["/R"],
+        }
+    }
 }
 
 impl Display for WindowsUpdateInstallMode {
@@ -63,6 +76,8 @@ impl Display for WindowsUpdateInstallMode {
 #[serde(rename_all = "camelCase")]
 pub struct WindowsConfig {
     /// Additional arguments given to the NSIS or WiX installer.
+    ///
+    /// Note: this applies to both WiX and NSIS installers
     #[serde(
         default,
         alias = "installer-args",

plugins/updater/src/lib.rs

@@ -83,9 +83,9 @@ impl<R: Runtime, T: Manager<R>> UpdaterExt<R> for T {
             builder = builder.target(target);
         }
 
-        let args = self.env().args_os;
-        if !args.is_empty() {
-            builder = builder.current_exe_args(args);
+        #[cfg(windows)]
+        {
+            builder = builder.current_exe_args(self.env().args_os);
         }
 
         builder.version_comparator = version_comparator.clone();