Check For Macos Updates

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As any good software developer should, Apple constantly releases improvements to Mac OS X in the form of software updates. These updates can include all sorts of fun stuff, such as

  • Bug fixes
  • Improvements and new features
  • Enhanced drivers

Jan 11, 2019  Here’s how to see the exact dates for app and macOS updates on Mac. Get to your system information There are actually two quick ways to get where you need to go. 1) Click the Apple icon from your menu bar.

  • Security upgrades
  • Firmware upgrades

Apple makes it easy to keep Mac OS X up-to-date with the Software Update controls in System Preferences (see Figure 1). Alternatively, you can choose the Apple menu and then choose Software Update. To check for new updates periodically, enable the Check for Updates check box. Then from the drop-down list box, choose how often you want these updates. (At least weekly, if not daily.) For a manual check, make sure that you’re connected to the Internet and then click the Check Now button.

Figure 1: Configuring Software Update is easy.

To download updates automatically, mark the Download Important Updates in the Background check box to enable it; the Big X politely downloads the updates behind the scenes and then alerts you that they’re ready to be installed. (With automatic downloading disabled, Mac OS X displays any available updates with short descriptions, and you can toggle the installation of a specific update by enabling or disabling the check boxes next to it.)

Install all updates, even for hardware that you don’t have yet. For example, install AirPort updates even though if you don’t use an AirPort connection at home. The reason? Often, the functionality covered by an update may include system software that you do use, so you’ll still benefit from installing it.

After you specify the updates that you want to install, click the Install button to begin the update process. You may have to reboot after everything has been installed.

To see which updates you’ve already installed, click the Installed Updates tab.

The great thing about Mac software downloaded from the Mac App Store is that it's very easy to check for updates. If you have automatic updates turned on, most apps will update automatically while you're asleep (or, at least at night, whether you're asleep or not). If, however, you know of an update launching at a specific time and your Mac hasn't automatically updated it yet, you can manually push out the update yourself. Here's how.

How to check for app updates in the Mac App Store

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  1. Launch the Mac App Store from your Dock or Finder.
  2. Click on Updates in the menu on the left side.
  3. Click on the Update button next to the app you want to update or click Update All to update all apps in the queue.

How to see what apps you've purchased or downloaded on your Mac

To see your app history, visit your profile account information.

  1. Launch the Mac App Store from your Dock or Finder.
  2. Click on your Profile picture in the lower-right corner of the Mac App Store window.
  3. Scroll down the list of apps to see your app purchase and download history.

How to hide Mac App Store purchases on your Mac

If you don't want your kids re-downloading an app on your Mac, or for whatever reason, don't want a past purchase to appear on your app history list, you can hide it.

  1. Launch the Mac App Store from your Dock or Finder.
  2. Click on your Profile picture in the lower-right corner of the Mac App Store window.
  3. Hover your cursor over the app you want to hide.

  4. Click on the More button that appears. It looks like three dots inside a circle.

  5. Click Hide Purchase.

  6. Click Hide Purchase again to confirm that you want to hide the purchase.

You can unhide any purchases you hide from your account info page.

Any questions?

Do you have any questions about how to manually update apps you downloaded in the Mac App Store on your Mac? Put them in the comments and we'll help you out.

macOS Catalina

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