Games and apps not auto updating or downloading while console is in standby

This could be updates and cloud sync work happening when you put your console into standby. Do you have auto-update enabled on your console, also games and apps remain active while the console is in standby for quick access when you start the console up?

Does it do it every time? For example. Turn on your console then put it into standby without loading any game or app, does the HDD still spin?

Also, if you play a game, press the Xbox button, then press the Menu button (START) and select QUIT. Do this on any App tile you previously used in that session too. THEN put your console to sleep, does it still spin up when you go into stand by?

How long does it spin up for when it is in standby is it seconds, minutes, hours? HDD's are designed well enough now that it is unlikely to cause any issues with the external HDD by having this happening.

One option available to you is to set the Xbox to update games and apps while it is in standby. To do this, go to Settings/Power & Startup/Power Mode & Startup, and set the console to "instant-on." When you select this option, the console will be in a
standby mode when you shut it down after use.

Then go to Settings/System/Updates, then check the box to "keep my games & apps up to date." When this option is selected, the Xbox will automatically check for any game or app updates about once a day while in "instant-on" standby mode.

If you like, you can also check the option to "keep the console up to date" and the Xbox will also search for and apply system software updates when needed.

How to Auto Update Games on Xbox One
On the Xbox 360, you could only update a game after launching it from the dashboard, but with the Xbox One there is a way to set it up where where all of your installed games will download updates automatically.
You can even set it up so that game and system updates will download automatically while the system is on standby so that you can jump right into your favorite Xbox games without wasting a second. This can be achieved by enabling a few simple settings on your
Xbox One console.

PLEASE NOTE: If you have a cap on your internet usage, it’s probably best that you don’t enable automatic downloads. This is because some updates can be large in size, and you don’t want to accidentally run
over your internet allowance.

If automatic download options aren’t enabled on your Xbox One, you will have to download system updates and game updates manually. It’s much easier and faster to have the system download them automatically.
In order for the console to do this, a couple of options have to be turned on in the system settings. To get to settings, simply press the Xbox button while on the dashboard. On this menu, scroll to the right to Settings and press A. Then navigate to System
and select Updates. If you select the option that says, “Keep my games and apps up to date.” The box will be ticked, which will make it so that your Xbox One will now automatically download all updates for games and apps. If you also want your console to automatically
download system updates as well, press A on the box that says, “Keep my console up to date.” To automatically download updates while the console is on standby, it will have to be set to the Instant-on mode. To turn this on, go to Settings, then Power
& Startup, and then Power Mode & Startup. In the center of the screen, there is a Power mode option; set this to Instant-on. Instant-on mode will use more power than Energy-saving mode, but it will allow the console to download updates automatically while
not in use and allows the system to startup faster.

Ive had my X1 in standby/Auto download for nearly 3 years and have never seen a game update screen ?

Im all digital so maybe this only happens with Disc based games and updates?

They have been updating the game quite frequently. The first update you downloaded could have been several days old, with the last one being in the pipeline to release while you were away

So yes, the default is to download updates automatically, the console will even turn itself on to download if you leave it in standby.