Automatic updates are crucial for maintaining the security and performance of your macOS system. They ensure that your operating system and applications are up-to-date with the latest features and security patches. In this article, we will explore how to enable and manage automatic updates on macOS, providing you with practical examples and commands to streamline this process.

Examples:

1. Enabling Automatic Updates via System Preferences:

• Open System Preferences from the Apple menu.


• Click on Software Update.


• Check the box that says "Automatically keep my Mac up to date".

2. Managing Automatic Updates via Terminal:

You can also manage automatic updates using Terminal commands. This is particularly useful for advanced users or system administrators who prefer command-line interfaces.

• 
  

  Check the current update settings:

  
  

   softwareupdate --schedule

  
  

  This command will show whether automatic updates are currently enabled or disabled.

  
  


• 
  

  Enable automatic updates:

  
  

   sudo softwareupdate --schedule on

  
  

  This command will turn on automatic updates.

  
  


• 
  

  Disable automatic updates:

  
  

   sudo softwareupdate --schedule off

  
  

  This command will turn off automatic updates.

  
  

3. Configuring Specific Update Options:

macOS allows you to configure specific aspects of automatic updates, such as downloading updates in the background or installing system data files and security updates.

• 
  

  Enable automatic downloading of updates:

  
  

   sudo defaults write /Library/Preferences/com.apple.SoftwareUpdate AutomaticDownload -bool TRUE

  
  


• 
  

  Enable installation of system data files and security updates:

  
  

   sudo defaults write /Library/Preferences/com.apple.SoftwareUpdate CriticalUpdateInstall -bool TRUE

  
  


• 
  

  Enable automatic installation of macOS updates:

  
  

   sudo defaults write /Library/Preferences/com.apple.commerce AutoUpdate -bool TRUE

  
  

4. Checking for Updates Manually:

Even with automatic updates enabled, you might want to check for updates manually from time to time.

• 
  

  Check for available updates:

  
  

   softwareupdate -l

  
  


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  Install all available updates:

  
  

   sudo softwareupdate -ia