How to get updates for macOS Mojave or later
Sep 13, 2019 Step 4. Create enough free space for the macOS update using Terminal. If you don’t have a backup and you can’t change your startup disk, your last option is to remove data from your Mac using Terminal. This requires you to enter terminal commands to. Jul 26, 2010 The Terminal approach to this is ideal for remote management situations, or for accessing in single user mode or safe boot on a Mac, where the typical Software Update mechanisms are.
If you've upgraded to macOS Mojave or later, follow these steps to keep it up to date:
- Choose System Preferences from the Apple menu , then click Software Update to check for updates.
- If any updates are available, click the Update Now button to install them. Or click ”More info” to see details about each update and select specific updates to install.
- When Software Update says that your Mac is up to date, the installed version of macOS and all of its apps are also up to date. That includes Safari, iTunes, Books, Messages, Mail, Calendar, Photos, and FaceTime.
![Update Software On Mac From Terminal Update Software On Mac From Terminal](/uploads/1/2/6/1/126167318/813784337.png)
To find updates for iMovie, Garageband, Pages, Numbers, Keynote, and other apps that were downloaded separately from the App Store, open the App Store on your Mac, then click the Updates tab.
To automatically install macOS updates in the future, including apps that were downloaded separately from the App Store, select ”Automatically keep my Mac up to date.” Your Mac will notify you when updates require it to restart, so you can always choose to install those later.
How to get updates for earlier macOS versions
If you're using an earlier macOS, such as macOS High Sierra, Sierra, El Capitan, or earlier,* follow these steps to keep it up to date:
- Open the App Store app on your Mac.
- Click Updates in the App Store toolbar.
- Use the Update buttons to download and install any updates listed.
- When the App Store shows no more updates, the installed version of macOS and all of its apps are up to date. That includes Safari, iTunes, iBooks, Messages, Mail, Calendar, Photos, and FaceTime. Later versions may be available by upgrading your macOS.
To automatically download updates in the future, choose Apple menu > System Preferences, click App Store, then select ”Download newly available updates in the background.” Your Mac will notify you when updates are ready to install.
* If you're using OS X Lion or Snow Leopard, get OS X updates by choosing Apple menu > Software Update.
How to get updates for iOS
Learn how to update your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch to the latest version of iOS.
Learn more
- Learn how to upgrade to the latest version of macOS.
- Find out which macOS your Mac is using.
- You can redownload apps that you previously downloaded from the App Store.
- Your Mac doesn't automatically download large updates when it's using a Personal Hotspot.
If you get fed up watching the progress bar crawl along when updating your Mac to a new version of macOS, a Reddit thread has a useful hint to speed things up: using a Terminal command instead …
Updating macOS through the App Store can take a very long time — for me it’s typically around 30 mins of rebooting and waiting. macOS has a built in softwareupdate utility, which is much faster. It also allows you to use your Mac while it updates (the updates seem to be applied while it’s powered on, and the reboot takes much less time than if it’s triggered by an App Store update).
To give a rough time estimate, it took around 10 mins to install the latest version of macOS 12.6 just now, and my MacBook Pro was only unusable for about 2 mins while it rebooted.
The original post suggested using a couple of command lines to perform the update:
The first checks for updates, and the second installs them. You then need to reboot when prompted.
But others in the thread suggested ways to further increase the efficiency of the process.
You could do “sudo softwareupdate -ia;sudo reboot” so they execute one after another. That way you really can walk away.
and:
Update Software On Mac From Terminal 2
Even better, do:
sudo softwareupdate -ia && sudo reboot
The reboot will then only happen if the first command succeeds. If it fails the reboot won’t happen and you’ll be able to see the errors.
Edit: Even even better:
sudo sh -c “softwareupdate -ia && reboot”
With my first example, if the software update takes a long-ish time, the timeout for sudo asking for a password will expire, and the sudo reboot will sit waiting for your password.
The 2nd version wraps both commands into a mini shell script, with a single sudo, so there’s no second sudo to possibly time out.
As with any software update, always ensure you have an up-to-date backup first.
Of course, no Reddit OS thread is complete without the obligatory editor wars, so you’ll be reassured to know that participants waste no time in debating the merits of vim versus nano …
Latest Mac Software Update
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