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macOS updates

How to enable automatic macOS updates

To configure the updates:

Open System Preferences, click General and Software Update.
Click the (i) icon.
Check all boxes.

How to enable on Monterey and older

Open System Preferences, click Software Update.
Click the Advanced button in the bottom right.
Check all boxes.

Time to fix

< 1m

What

The macOS update checks are a complex topic. You might think that the macOS version is the only thing that gets updated, but the system update does much more.

Behind the scenes, it updates new malware definitions, root certificates, and also routinely scans your macOS for known malware (known as XProtect). If you disable the Install system data files and security updates it will also disable malware protection updates.

Why you should enable automatic macOS updates

Every few weeks or months, a new critical security vulnerability is found. If you don't have the latest patch release of your macOS, hackers can get into your machine much easier.

Note that Apple releases security fixes for several major releases of macOS. This does not mean you have upgrade to Monterey but to the latest release of the major macOS version you're using (Big Sur, Catalina, etc.).