Not updating your Mac to the latest macOS version can be one of the major reasons for app incompatibility or unstable performance. The same also makes your Mac prone to attacks as the new macOS updates often come with new and improved security patches. There is no denying that having an up-to-date macOS version on your Macintosh is one of the best practices to get keep your system safe and sound.
With that said, in this guide, we are going to take you through the steps that are required to check for macOS updates and install them on your machine. This guide is also going to show you how you can enable and configure automatic updates on your Mac so that it gets automatically updated whenever a new update is available. So, let’s get started.
Update Your Mac to the Latest macOS Version
The process for updating macOS versions is slightly different depending on which macOS version you are currently using. Here we have provided steps to check and install the update for every mainstream macOS version that is currently running, and that also includes the latest macOS 14 Sonoma.
With macOS Monterey, Apple replaced the System Preferences with System Settings along with a complete UI revamp of the same. Follow the guide till the end, to find out.
Here are the steps you can follow to update macOS Monterey or earlier:
1. Open up the System Settings from the Apple Menu in the top-left of the screen. Click on the Apple logo and select the System Settings option. You can also open it from the Applications Dock if you have it there.
2. Once the System Settings window is open. Locate and click on the General tab from the left pane.
3. Next, click on the Software Update option to check if there is any update available for your Mac.
4. This will open up the Software Update setting and will start checking for updates.
5. If there is any update available, click on the Update Now button to initiate the installation of the update.
How to Enable Automatic Updates in macOS
However, if you don’t want to manually check and install the latest version of macOS, you can enable automatic updates. On the Software Update Setting screen, you can also enable and configure the Automatic Updates for your Mac.
To do so, you can follow the following steps:
1. Click on the ‘i‘ button associated with the Automatic Updates option.
2. This will bring up a list of options that you can enable or disable based on your preferences. The options that are included are as follows:
- Check for Updates: When enabled, your Mac will automatically check for new updates in the background.
- Download new updates when available: When enabled, your Mac will automatically download the latest available update on the system and then will notify you to install it at your convenience.
- Install macOS updates: When enabled, your Mac will automatically install the new update after downloading it.
- Install application updates from the App Store: When enabled, your Mac will automatically update the apps whose update is available on the App Store.
- Install Security Responses and System Files: When enabled, your Mac will automatically install the Rapid Security Response (RSR) updates on your Mac.
So, based on the available options you can enable or disable the ones you want to configure the Automatic Updates settings as per your liking.
Conclusion
There it is! This is how you can check for macOS updates and install them on your Mac system. Keeping your macOS up to date is crucial if you want optimal performance, security, and access to the latest features. By following the simple steps outlined in this guide, you can easily navigate the process of updating your Mac to the latest version of macOS.
As additional safety measures, remember to back up your data, ensure sufficient storage space, and stay connected to the internet. Also, keep your Mac connected to power during the update process. If you have any questions or suggestions, please feel free to share them with us in the comments below.
