Installing Updates in macOS

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Last updated: Nov 09, 2023 by A.J. Newman
1 min read

Students, faculty and staff should update their Mac to the newest version of macOS to stay up-to-date with the latest security patches and software features.

Setting up Automatic Updates

  1. Click the Apple icon in the upper left corner.

  2. Click System Settings…

    1. For macOS Monterey and older:

      1. Open Software Update

    2. For macOS Ventura and newer:

      1. Open General>Software Update

      2. Click on the <i> symbol and check any setting that you want to have apply automatically.

Checking for Updates

  1. Press the Apple icon in the top left corner. 

  2. Click on System Settings….

  3. Open General>Software Update

  4. Click Check for Updates. Updates will then be downloaded and installed on your computer. 

Troubleshooting

If you don't see an item named Software Update:

  1. Press View Software Update from the menu bar in System Settings or preferences. Or use Search in the corner of the window to search for Software Update.

2. If your older Mac doesn't include Software Update, open the App Store app instead. It's in your Applications folder. Then press the Updates tab in the App Store to check for updates. You can also search for software by name.

Note: If you would like to learn more about maintaining a backup of your previous OS just in case the new release has bugs, or a piece of software suddenly becomes incompatible. See here for more.

 

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