How to skip the need to confirm an email address update with devise?

The method you want to use is skip_reconfirmation! (note the 're' in reconfirmation).

@user = User.find_by_email('[email protected]')
@user.email = '[email protected]'
@user.skip_reconfirmation!
@user.save!

Try setting Devise.reconfirmable or User.reconfirmable (or whatever your model is) to false. You can set it on config/initializers/devise.rb on this line:

# If true, requires any email changes to be confirmed (exctly the same way as
# initial account confirmation) to be applied. Requires additional unconfirmed_email
# db field (see migrations). Until confirmed new email is stored in
# unconfirmed email column, and copied to email column on successful confirmation.
config.reconfirmable = true

You can also use Active Record's update_column method, which saves a field without running callbacks or validations.

You can use this kind of code in your model # models/users.rb. This will disable email reconfirmation on update:

def postpone_email_change?
  false 
end

or in your controller

def update
  user.email = params[:user][:email]
  user.skip_confirmation_notification!

  if user.save
    user.confirm
  end
end