Keeping your Mac up to date is an important security measure, which is why Mac automatically notifies you whenever an Update is available. However, if you are busy and do not want to be bothered, there is a way to stop Update Notifications on Mac.
Software updates are usually a good thing. They can bring new features and important security updates to whatever device you’re using with little to no effort on your part. If you have a Mac.
By default, Mac computers are set to automatically download Updates and notify users to install the Updates by clicking on Install or defer installation of updates for a temporary period of time (See image below).
Unlike other app notifications, Update notifications on Mac are interactive, which means they will not go away until you either Click on Install or click on Later.
Clicking on “Later”, provides you with four different options to choose from: Try in an Hour, Try Tonight, Remind Me Tomorrow or Turn On Automatic Software Updates.
In case you are so busy that you do not even have the time to make your choice, you can stop Update Notifications on Mac by using one of the following methods.
This method is suitable, in case you want to stop all notifications on Mac, including Update Notifications and also notifications from all other Apps.
Click on the Apple Icon located in the top menu bar on your Mac and then click on System Preferences in the drop-down menu.
On the System Preferences screen, click on Notifications
On the Notifications screen, select Do Not Disturb from the left side menu (in case it is not already selected) and choose the Time Period during which you do not want to be disturbed by Update Notifications (See image below)
If you would like to permanently disable notifications, then make sure that the From time is always 1 minute ahead of the To time. As you can see in the image above, the from time of 7:01 AM is a minute ahead of the to time (7 AM).
This method is suitable in case you only want to Stop Update Notifications on Mac, while allowing notifications from all other Apps on your Mac.
Click on the Apple Icon located in the top menu bar on your Mac and then click on System Preferences in the drop-down menu.
On the System Preferences screen, click on the App Store option
On the App Store screen, uncheck Automatically check for updates option.
After this, you will now no longer be bothered by update notifications on your Mac.
However, you need to make sure that you remember to periodically check for Updates on the App Store and manually download the Updates, in case they are available.
Click on the Apple Logo located in the top menu bar of your Mac and then click on App Store in the drop down menu. On the next screen, click on the Updates tab and wait for your Mac to search for Updates.
In case an Update is available, Install the Update on your Mac by clicking on the Update button located next to the listed Update. In case of multiple updates, you can click on Update All button to Install all the available Updates on your Mac.
Automatic Mac App updates can be useful. These will automatically run in the background and save you a little time, keeping apps fully up-to-date. But not everyone wants this feature. It can be better to know exactly what you are downloading, even if you’ve been using the same app for a while.
In this article, we look at the ways you can prevent automatic app updates on a Mac. There are a few ways you can do this, and apps that can make it quicker and easier to ensure you’ve only got the apps you need running on your Mac.
In the future, when an app you've downloaded through the Mac App Store has an update coming through, you will be alerted, but it can’t download until you manually confirm it.
Depending on the macOS or older version, Mac OS X that you are running, there are other ways to disable automatic updates. For these, we've covered Mac OS X High Sierra, Sierra, El Capitan, Yosemite, Mavericks in the tip below — as they follow the same process — and older operating systems in another tip further down the article.
With older operating systems — Mac OS X High Sierra, Sierra, El Capitan, Yosemite, Mavericks — the process is slightly different from the one listed above for stopping auto app updates.
However, leave the following box enabled (as this is crucial for security): Install system data files and security updates.
With some apps, they update and even work in the background without you being aware.
These are known as background apps, or and with some they have launch agents that activate whenever a Mac is switched on. All of this potentially uses processing power, such as CPU, and even internet bandwidth. Apps shouldn't be working unless you need them and remember agreeing to open them.
Here is how to prevent this from happening:
Not everyone downloads apps on a Mac from the Mac App Store.
In many cases, people get them straight from a developers website, or third-party subscription service.
With these, you need to go into the individual apps, where you should have the option to ensure they automatically update, or to switch this setting off. With these apps, they will be configured to adhere to macOS standards, so these options should come as a normal feature, ensuring they're easy to update, or not, according to what people prefer.
Before we continue, here is a cool Apple fact for you: Have you ever noticed the date shown on created and modified timestamps that have failed to download, or you cancelled or paused during a download?
Take a look. Instead of showing whichever date the download stopped, they show 24 January 1984 — the day Apple founder, Steve Jobs, unveiled the first Apple Macintosh computer to the world.
As mentioned above, CleanMyMac X is a great way to prevent automatic updates and remove unwanted background apps. It can also be used in a reverse way — for updating all your applications.
The free version of CleanMyMac X (download it here) comes with an Updater feature to keep all of your updates in one place — whether or not you got them from the Mac App Store. It’s especially handy for 32-bit apps that will no longer work on the 2019 macOS Catalina. But if there are newer, 64-bit versions of these apps already available, the Updater in CleanMyMac X will suggest to automatically update your Mac.
It is also useful for keeping your Mac free from viruses and other problems that can cause a Mac to slow down. Get your Mac running as good as new, and make sure you’re only downloading the apps you definitely need.