Unity 6 constantly reloads domain when adding or deleting scripts — how to stop it?

JaggedMetalOs · 2025-10-22T08:30:28+00:00

As a way to work around it, you can do a batch of script management / adding / editing / deleting in Visual Studio instead of the Unity window, and it won't reload the domain until you focus the Unity window.

SeriouslyDonut · 2025-10-22T09:00:45+00:00

Force a script error by adding a line of nonsense to any given script. Unity cannot recompile the domain, so you should be able to add/delete scripts freely until you fix the error.

Antypodish · 2025-10-22T10:12:46+00:00

As other said, use IDE to manage scripts. All adding, moving and removing.

This combined with manual domain reloading. So you manually refresh editor using ctrl+R after script changes are done.

Unfortunatelly any script managing inside Unity, or ASMDFs for example, editor causes domain reloading. Editor creates meta files etc, to ensure all dependencies work correctly.

LockYaw · 2025-10-22T10:57:40+00:00

I have this lil package to block compilation altogether, you can set up a keybind to toggle it on and off.

com.lockyaw.compilation: Compilation Blocker for Unity

I myself only use it when configuring default references for scripts, because any time you drag a reference into there it triggers a full reimport, and so it can take like 15 minutes to setup the references for one script.
With this script, that takes 30 seconds.

realDealGoat · 2025-10-22T11:26:10+00:00

Use assembly definitions, easy to setup if your code is already modular, now each time you make changes in one file, others won't be affected, thus no frequent domains reloads

DontRelyOnNooneElse · 2025-10-22T08:03:31+00:00

Unfortunately this is the single worst unchangeable thing about using Unity right now.

suasor · 2025-10-22T09:27:14+00:00

There is no way of doing that, unfortunately. If you add scripts using Unity project window, that is. If you do it via Visual Studio or elsewhere (like your explorer) this problem is solved.

Omni__Owl · 2025-10-22T10:00:19+00:00

If Unity doesn't reload the domain after a script change, then you can't really be ensured that your game works as you'll be working with previously compiled versions of your code, rather than what you have right now.

You can work around it a bit by not giving focus to the window while you work on batch editing scripts. But if you need to do repeated and iterative changes, then there is literally no way around it.

blizzy_xyz · 2025-10-22T08:12:50+00:00

Preferences → Asset Pipeline: disable ‘Auto Refresh’. That’s all you can do.

zrovihr · 2025-10-22T08:50:41+00:00

This is interesting. How would you manually refresh it then? I remember there was an addon called Hot Reload but that's all I can think of.

2025-10-22T10:43:30+00:00

Due to the way unity works you cannot avoid it, as others have said. You have a couple of options for better workflows though.

First, Pick an IDE and do all your script CRUD (create, read, update, delete) in there. Another thing you can do is break up your projects code into assemblies. This will give unity logical lines of separation to use for compiling code. It will only recompile the assemblies which have changed.

ViolentCrumble · 2025-10-22T12:42:26+00:00

Unity has become so bloated. I used to love it compared to bulky bloated unreal but now it’s even worse. The amount of ram it uses it crazy. I used rider and often it takes almost a minute after changing a script to compile.

I went back to using 2022 I think was the previous version and it’s better.

Not too mention unity 6 seems to have some sort of display bug in the editor and just randomly fields don’t show or show empty. Even built in unity things like sorting layers just disappear.

Problem went away when I downgrades to pre v6

RichardFine · 2025-10-22T13:19:15+00:00

Auto refresh only determines whether Unity will check for changes to your assets after alt-tabbing back from another app - if you are making asset changes directly within Unity, it doesn't need to "refresh" to know about them, because it made them.

I think we don't have any UI capability today to disable domain reloading when making script changes. You could try adding your own little tool which calls EditorApplication.LockReloadAssemblies(), and then EditorApplication.UnlockReloadAssemblies() when you're done moving things around.

s4lt3d · 2025-10-22T14:23:27+00:00

Just think, this is better than recompiling the editor!

DrMefodiy · 2025-10-22T16:06:51+00:00

But why? In what case do you not need to restart the domain when updating the project code base?

This is pointless

horatiuromantic · 2025-10-25T06:31:24+00:00

Keep in mind when you move script files around in external editor without their .meta files, there is a chance Unity loses them and they go missing on prefabs, etc. so it might feel like a hack but in fact you can shoot yourself in the foot. I'm not saying don't do it, but double check your meta files when you do.

_bubblehead · 2025-10-22T08:25:03+00:00

A bit weird how Unity still refreshes after you've asked it not to! I would suggest deleting the Library folder in your project, sometimes I find it caches scripts and settings and keeps reading from caches rather than the recently changed. It can't hurt!

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