About background updates in macOS

Your Mac automatically installs Background Security Improvements, security-configuration updates, and system data files in the background.

Keeping your software up to date is one of the most important things you can do to maintain the security of your Mac. That includes installing all security updates and other macOS software updates, and making sure that your Mac is set up to get these background updates promptly:

• Background Security Improvements

• Security-configuration updates

• System data files

By default, these updates are installed or applied automatically. They don't cause your Mac to restart, but some take effect only after you restart your Mac.

Get background updates promptly

In macOS Tahoe 26 or later:

• Choose Apple menu  > System Settings, click General in the sidebar, then click Software Update on the right. Click the More Info button next to Automatic Updates, then make sure that "Install system data files and security updates" is turned on.

• Choose Apple menu  > System Settings, then click Privacy & Security in the sidebar. Click Background Security Improvements on the right, then make sure that Automatically Install is turned on.

In macOS Ventura or later, choose Apple menu  > System Settings, click General in the sidebar, then click Software Update on the right. Click the More Info button next to Automatic Updates, then make sure that “Install Security Responses and system files” is turned on.

In earlier versions of macOS, choose Apple menu  > System Preferences, then click Software Update. Click Advanced, then make sure that “Install system data files and security updates” is selected.

View installed background updates

System Information lists most Apple and third-party software that has been installed manually or automatically.

1. Press and hold the Option key while choosing Apple menu  > System Information.

2. From the Software section of the sidebar, select Installations.

3. Click the Install Date column on the right to sort the list by date.

Types of background updates

Background updates include Background Security Improvements, security-configuration updates, and system data files.

Background Security Improvements

Background Security Improvements provides additional protection to your Mac in between software updates.

Learn more about Background Security Improvements

Security-configuration updates

Security-configuration updates help make your Mac more secure by identifying malicious software and preventing its installation. When you restart your Mac, these updates also remove any malicious software that is identified but already installed. These security-configuration updates are installed in the background:

• Core Services Application Configuration Data: Blocks incompatible apps from being launched

• EFICheck AllowListAll: Verifies that Apple provided the firmware for your Mac

• Gatekeeper Configuration Data: Helps protect your Mac from apps created by unidentified developers

• Incompatible Kernel Extension Configuration Data: Blocks incompatible kernel extensions that may adversely affect your Mac

• TCC Configuration Data: Improves compatibility of specified software with macOS security features

• XProtectPayloads and XProtectPayloadsConfigData: Removes known malware

• XProtectPlistConfigData: Prevents known malware from running

System data files

System data files provide new word lists, speech-recognition assets, voice assets, better suggestions for contacts and events, and more. Some system data files are installed only when you turn on or use features that require them. These system data files are installed in the background:

• Updated fonts

• Updated system voice-dictation services

• New or updated vocabulary words for the Dictionary app

• Improved language models, autocorrect, spell check, input methods, transliteration of Roman to international characters, and more

• Enhanced suggestions for adding new contacts and calendar events in macOS apps, and improved time-to-leave alerts

• Improved discovery of Bluetooth devices and communication with them

• Improved automatic routing of network requests based on traffic

• Improved updating of iCloud Keychain credentials and passwords across your Apple devices

• Support for new top-level domains in Safari

• New and improved website suggestions, available as you type in the Smart Search field in Safari

• Updated definitions for SSL certificate types

• System-level support for more digital camera RAW formats

• Improved tuning of Portrait mode images captured on iOS devices and viewed in the Photos app on Mac

• Updated instructional videos in System Settings (or System Preferences)

• Updated information about support for media formats

• Firmware updates for built-in trackpads and external trackpads, mice, keyboards, and displays

• Firmware updates for Apple power adapters

• Firmware updates for Siri Remote development in Xcode

• Updated information to help automatically block incompatible kernel extensions (kexts)

• Updated information to help automatically identify and block incompatible apps from opening or being migrated to a new Mac