Change Software Update settings on Mac

Use Software Update settings to update your macOS software and set whether your Mac checks for and downloads new updates automatically.

To open Software Update settings, choose Apple menu > System Settings, click General in the sidebar (you may need to scroll down), then click Software Update on the right.

Open Software Update settings for me

Option	Description
Automatic updates	Set update options for installing system software and updates automatically. Click the Info button next to Automatic updates, then turn on the options you want: To have your Mac check for updates automatically, turn on “Check for updates.” To have your Mac download updates without asking, turn on “Download new updates when available.” To have your Mac install macOS updates automatically, turn on “Install macOS updates.” To have your Mac install app updates from the App Store automatically, turn on “Install application updates from the App Store.” To have your Mac install system files and security updates automatically, turn on “Install Security Responses and System files.”
Updates Available	To install all the available system software and other updates shown in the pane, click Update Now. If an update button isn’t shown, your Mac is up to date. If multiple updates are available, click “More info” to view information about them, then do any of the following: To show details about an update, select the update. To install updates, select the checkboxes of the updates you want, then click Install Now.

Option

Description

Automatic updates

Set update options for installing system software and updates automatically. Click the Info button next to Automatic updates, then turn on the options you want:

To have your Mac check for updates automatically, turn on “Check for updates.”
To have your Mac download updates without asking, turn on “Download new updates when available.”
To have your Mac install macOS updates automatically, turn on “Install macOS updates.”
To have your Mac install app updates from the App Store automatically, turn on “Install application updates from the App Store.”
To have your Mac install system files and security updates automatically, turn on “Install Security Responses and System files.”

Updates Available

To install all the available system software and other updates shown in the pane, click Update Now.

If an update button isn’t shown, your Mac is up to date.

If multiple updates are available, click “More info” to view information about them, then do any of the following:

To show details about an update, select the update.
To install updates, select the checkboxes of the updates you want, then click Install Now.

If a red badge is shown on the System Settings icon in the Dock after you update macOS, you may need to take one or more actions. For example, if you didn’t fully set up iCloud, the badge appears on the icon in the Dock; when you click the icon, the settings are displayed so you can complete setup.

For more information about updating or downloading apps from the App Store, see Get apps and Safari extensions in the App Store.

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macOS User Guide

Change Software Update settings on Mac