October 29, 2026
How to update apps on Mac
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The App Store lists a few updates, so you open it and install them. Chrome, Zoom, and Microsoft Word are not in that list, though. And on macOS 27, some older apps now warn that support for Intel‑based apps is ending. Every app on a Mac updates through the channel it came from, so the fastest route depends on the app.
This guide covers each channel: the App Store, the app’s own updater, the developer’s website, and Homebrew. It also covers macOS with its built‑in apps, and the Intel apps that need a new version before macOS 28. We checked every menu and setting in October 2026 on a Mac mini with an M4 Pro chip running macOS 27.0.1 Golden Gate.
This Article Contains
- How apps on a Mac get updated
- How to check which apps need updating
- How to update apps from the App Store
- How to update apps downloaded from the internet
- How to update Intel-based apps for Apple silicon
- How to update all apps at once with App Cleaner & Uninstaller
- How to update macOS, Safari, and Apple's built-in apps
- How to update apps installed with Homebrew
- What to do if an app won't update
- FAQs
How apps on a Mac get updated
A Mac has several update channels, and the App Store’s Updates page shows only one of them. On my Mac mini, 25 of the 127 apps in the Applications folder came from the App Store. The other 102 don’t show up there.
Find your kind of app in the table below, then go to its section. To update every app from one window instead, skip to App Cleaner & Uninstaller.
| Kind of app | How to tell | Where it updates | Automatic updates | Go to |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| App Store apps, including Pages, Numbers, and Keynote | Obtained from: App Store in System Information | App Store → Updates | Yes, one checkbox | App Store apps |
| Apps from a developer’s website | Check for Updates… in the app’s menu | The app itself | Usually, in the app’s settings | Downloaded apps |
| Microsoft 365, Adobe, and Google Chrome | A separate updater app or background helper | Microsoft AutoUpdate, Creative Cloud, Chrome’s About page | Yes, while the updater runs | Vendor updaters |
| Apps with no updater | No update command in its menus | A fresh download from the developer | No | Manual download |
| Intel‑based apps | Kind: Application (Intel) in Get Info | A Universal or Apple silicon version | Depends on the app | Intel‑based apps |
| Safari, Mail, Photos, and other built‑in apps | They came with macOS | System Settings → General → Software Update | Yes, with macOS updates | Built‑in apps |
| Apps installed with Homebrew | You installed them in Terminal | Terminal | No | Homebrew apps |
How to check which apps need updating
Before you update, it helps to know what is out of date and where each app came from. Three places on a Mac show it:
- App Store apps: open the App Store and click Updates in the sidebar. The Apple menu also shows the number of waiting updates next to App Store. The App Store icon in the Dock gets a red badge with the same number while Badge application icon is on for App Store in System Settings → Notifications.
- One app: choose About [App Name] from the app’s menu, or select the app in Finder and press Command+I. Compare the version number with the one on the developer’s site.
- Every app at once: hold Option, click the Apple menu, and choose System Information. Under Software, click Applications.
System Information lists each app with its Version, Obtained from, and Kind. Obtained from tells you the update channel: App Store, Identified Developer, Apple, or Unknown. Kind reads Apple Silicon, Universal, or Intel, which matters for the Intel section below.
System Information shows the installed version of each app. To see which apps have newer versions in one list, use App Cleaner & Uninstaller or its free companion, App Update Monitor.
How to update apps from the App Store
The App Store updates only the apps you got from the App Store. Sign in with the same Apple Account you used to get the app. If an app is open, quit it first: the App Store may not replace an app while it runs.
Update one app or all apps at once
Here is how to install App Store updates on macOS 27 Golden Gate:
- Open the App Store.
- Click Updates in the sidebar.
- Click Update next to an app, or click Update All to install every update on the page.
The page sorts apps into three groups: Available, Upcoming Automatic Updates, and Updated Recently. When no updates are waiting, it reads “All your apps are up to date.” Apple’s App Store guide describes the same steps.
If an update you expect is missing, choose Store → Reload Page or press Command+R. You can also search for the app and open its page. The page often shows an Update button even when the Updates list is empty.
Turn on automatic updates for App Store apps
To have App Store apps update by themselves:
- Open the App Store.
- Choose App Store → Settings in the menu bar.
- Select Automatic Updates at the top of the window.
The App Store then downloads and installs app updates without asking. Apps waiting for that install appear under Upcoming Automatic Updates. An automatic update can arrive hours or days after the release, so use Update All when you need a fix right away.
Note:
On macOS 26 and 27, this checkbox is the only switch for automatic app updates. System Settings → General → Software Update no longer has an App Store option. Guides that send you there describe Sequoia and earlier.
How to update apps downloaded from the internet
Apps from a developer’s website never appear in the App Store’s Updates list. They update in one of three ways: through their own updater, through the vendor’s updater, or through a fresh download.
Use the app’s own Check for Updates
Most apps from the web have an update command in their menu. To use it:
- Open the app.
- Click the app’s name in the menu bar. Some apps put the command in the Help menu instead.
- Choose Check for Updates…, then click Install Update if a new version exists.
Most of these apps use Sparkle, an open‑source updater built into the app. Many apps also have an Automatically check for updates option in their settings. Turn it on, and the app tells you about new versions at launch.
Note:
An app running from the Downloads folder or from an opened disk image can’t update itself. Move it to the Applications folder first, then check for updates again.
Let the vendor’s updater do it: Microsoft, Adobe, Google
Large vendors ship their own updaters. Each one covers all of that vendor’s apps:
- Microsoft 365 (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook): choose Help → Check for Updates in any of these apps. Microsoft AutoUpdate opens and installs the updates. Microsoft recommends selecting Automatically keep Microsoft apps up to date there. Office apps from the Mac App Store update through the App Store instead.
- Adobe apps: open the Creative Cloud desktop app and update Photoshop, Illustrator, and the rest from its list of apps. Acrobat Reader also has Help → Check for Updates.
- Google Chrome: choose Chrome → About Google Chrome. Chrome downloads the update, then asks you to click Relaunch. Chrome usually installs updates by itself when you close and reopen it.
Warning
These updaters run in the background. If you switched one off under Background App Activity, its apps stop updating without a warning. That list sits in System Settings → General → Login Items & Extensions. Switch the updater back on if you want automatic updates.
Download the new version from the developer’s site
Some apps have no updater at all. For those, replace the app with the new version:
- Quit the app with Command+Q.
- Download the new version from the developer’s website.
- Open the downloaded disk image and drag the app to the Applications folder.
- When Finder says an older item with that name already exists, click Replace.
For a .pkg installer, open the file and follow its steps. It replaces the old version for you.
~/Library
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Download updates only from the developer’s site or the App Store. macOS checks apps from outside the App Store for an identified developer and Apple notarization before they open. If macOS blocks a new version you trust, open System Settings → Privacy & Security and click Open Anyway. Since macOS 15, Control‑clicking the app and choosing Open no longer gets around the block.
Download a fresh installer each time rather than reusing an old one. Apple says some .pkg files signed with an expiring developer certificate will stop installing on February 1, 2027.
How to update Intel-based apps for Apple silicon
macOS 27 Golden Gate still runs apps built for Intel Macs, through a translation layer called Rosetta. Apple says Rosetta is available on Apple silicon Macs with macOS 27 or earlier. From macOS 28, it stays only for some older games. So every Intel‑based app you need should get a Universal or Apple silicon version before you move to macOS 28.
On my Mac mini, 14 of the 127 apps in Applications were still Intel‑only. Most were printer utilities and old games.
On an Intel Mac, this section doesn’t apply. Intel Macs stay on macOS 26 Tahoe, where their apps keep working as before.
Find which apps are Intel-based
macOS 27 points out Intel‑based apps in three places. The first is a notification titled App Update Required that may appear when you open one. It says the app, or a component inside it, “will not open in macOS 28, the next major release.”
Don’t count on that warning, though. macOS shows it at most once a day across all apps and once every 30 days for the same app, so most Intel apps open without it. The second place lists every Intel‑based app at once:
- Open System Settings → General → About.
- Click Details next to Intel‑based Apps.
The Support Ending for Intel‑based Apps window splits the apps into those opened within the last year and those opened earlier. Hover over an app to see Visit Website, when macOS knows the developer’s site, and a button with three dots. That button offers Show App in Finder and Move to Trash.
To check one app, select it in Finder and press Command+I. The Kind line in the Get Info window reads Application (Intel), Application (Universal), or Application (Apple silicon). Only the first one needs an update. For an Intel app, macOS 27 adds a warning right under that line: apps requiring Rosetta “will not open in macOS 28, the next major release.” The Kind column in System Information shows the same for every app at once.
Get the Universal or Apple silicon version
Many developers ship the Apple silicon build as a regular update. So start with the usual route, then switch to a download if needed:
- Update the app through the App Store or its Check for Updates… command.
- If it is still Intel‑only, visit the developer’s site. Some developers offer separate downloads: pick the Apple silicon or M‑series file.
- Replace the app in the Applications folder, as described in the download section.
- Open Get Info again and confirm that Kind now reads Universal or Apple silicon.
Some Universal apps show an Open using Rosetta checkbox in Get Info. When it is selected, the app still runs as an Intel app, often to load an old plug‑in. Apple advises deselecting it once your plug‑ins have Apple silicon versions. macOS 27 may also turn it off by itself and show a Rosetta Turned Off for This App notice. Plug‑ins and extensions from other developers need their own updates.
What to do with apps that have no Apple silicon version
Some apps will never get a new build. Check the developer’s site for news, and look for a native alternative in the meantime.
The app keeps working on macOS 27. After you move to macOS 28, it most likely won’t open, unless it is one of the older games Rosetta still supports. If you depend on such an app, stay on macOS 27 until you have a replacement. Remove the Intel apps you no longer need, together with their service files.
How to update all apps at once with App Cleaner & Uninstaller
Each method above covers one channel. App Cleaner & Uninstaller by Nektony puts apps from the App Store, developer sites, and Homebrew in one Updates list and updates them from there.
- Download and open App Cleaner & Uninstaller.
- Click Updates in the sidebar.
- Select the apps you want to update, or turn on Select all applications for update.
- Click Update and confirm.
The list groups updates by source: Updates from Mac App Store and Updates from developer sites. Apps installed with Homebrew carry a Homebrew badge. Version 10 added more than 1,200 apps to the update database, along with Safari extensions and Homebrew command‑line tools.
A few apps can update only through the App Store or by themselves, and iPhone and iPad apps update only through the App Store. For those, the app sends you to the right place. To keep a version you rely on, right‑click the app and choose Skip this update, or add the app to the Skip List in Settings. The menu bar agent shows the number of waiting updates on its App updates card.
The free trial includes updating. After it ends, updates need the Pro version. To only see which apps need updates, get the free App Update Monitor from the Mac App Store. Apple doesn’t let Mac App Store apps install other apps’ updates, so App Update Monitor takes you to each app’s update page instead.
MacUpdater, the updater many Mac users relied on, stopped verifying updates on January 1, 2026, and there will be no MacUpdater 4. If you still run it, its results are no longer checked.
How to update macOS, Safari, and Apple’s built-in apps
Apple’s own apps follow two routes. Pages, Numbers, Keynote, iMovie, and GarageBand update through the App Store. Safari, Mail, Photos, Notes, Messages, and Music update with macOS itself. Apple notes that macOS updates include “built‑in apps such as Safari, Notes, Messages, and Apple Music.”
Back up your Mac with Time Machine before a major macOS upgrade. Then install the update:
- Choose Apple menu → System Settings.
- Click General, then Software Update.
- Click Update Now for an update within your current macOS, or Upgrade Now for a new major version.
- When the download finishes, click Restart Now, or choose Update Tonight to install it overnight.
When no updates are waiting, the pane reads “Your Mac is up to date.” Click the info button next to Automatic Updates to see three options: Download new updates when available, Install macOS updates, and Install system data files and security updates. Keep the last one on. It delivers security fixes and malware definitions between full macOS updates, often without a restart.
An Intel Mac follows the same steps, but its newest system is macOS 26 Tahoe.
How to update apps installed with Homebrew
This section is optional. It applies only to apps and tools you installed with Homebrew, a package manager that works in Terminal. Homebrew doesn’t touch App Store apps or apps you installed by hand.
Run these commands in Terminal, one at a time:
brew updateCopy
brew outdatedCopy
brew upgradeCopy
The first command refreshes Homebrew’s list of versions. The second shows what is out of date. The third updates every outdated app and tool. To update a single app, name it, as in this Firefox example:
brew upgrade --cask firefox
Copy
--greedy
Copy
brew upgrade --greedy
Copy
If macOS stops Terminal from replacing an app, allow Terminal in System Settings → Privacy & Security → App Management.
Note:
Terminal has one more update command,
softwareupdate
Copy
What to do if an app won’t update
Most failed updates come down to a handful of causes. Match what you see to a fix:
| What you see | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| An update is missing from the App Store’s Updates list | The list hasn’t refreshed | Choose Store → Reload Page, or open the app’s page in the App Store |
| The Update button spins, then comes back | A stuck download, or an app tied to another Apple Account | Quit the App Store and try again, or sign in with the account that got the app |
| “Requires macOS” with a newer version number | The new version needs a newer macOS | Update macOS, or install the last compatible version from your purchased apps |
| A notice that an app was prevented from modifying apps on your Mac | macOS protects apps from changes by other developers’ tools | Allow the updater in Privacy & Security → App Management |
| The old version still opens after the update | A second copy in Downloads or on an opened disk image | Keep the copy in Applications, delete the other, and eject the disk image |
| Microsoft AutoUpdate shows an error | An outdated AutoUpdate | Run the latest Microsoft AutoUpdate, then check again |
| The update stops with a disk space error | Too little free space | Free up space, then try again |
appstoreagent
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When an app needs a newer macOS than your Mac can run, the App Store offers the last compatible version instead. Click your name at the bottom of the App Store sidebar to see your purchased apps, then download the app from there. This works only for apps you got with that Apple Account before.
As a last resort, delete the app and install it again. A plain drag to the Trash keeps the app’s settings in your Library folder. A full uninstall with service files removes them, so use it only when you want a clean start.
The bottom line
Each app on your Mac updates through the channel it came from. The App Store handles App Store apps, and System Settings handles macOS with Safari, Mail, and Photos. Other apps update through their own updater, a vendor updater, a fresh download, or Homebrew.
On macOS 27, also check the Intel‑based apps list in System Settings → General → About. Those apps need new versions before macOS 28. To see and install every update in one window, App Cleaner & Uninstaller covers the App Store, developer sites, and Homebrew together.
Frequently asked questions
Does a Mac update apps automatically?
Only when you turn it on. App Store apps update automatically after you select Automatic Updates in App Store → Settings. Many apps from the web check for updates by themselves, and Chrome and Microsoft apps rely on their own background updaters. Safari, Mail, and Photos update with macOS.
Is it safe to update all apps at once?
Usually, yes. Updates mostly fix bugs and security holes. Back up first if you depend on an app for work, and read its release notes before a major version jump. If one app must stay on its current version, skip that update and install the rest.
Will updating an app delete my settings or documents?
No. Apps store settings and documents outside the app, mostly in your user Library and Documents folders. An update replaces only the app itself. Uninstalling the app with its service files is what removes settings.
Can I go back to the previous version if an update breaks an app?
The App Store has no rollback. If you use Time Machine, restore the older copy of the app from your backup. For apps from the web, many developers keep older versions on their site. Turn off automatic updates for that app until the developer ships a fix.
Do I need to restart my Mac after updating an app?
Usually not. Quit the app and open it again. Apps with system extensions or drivers, such as VPN clients, antivirus apps, and audio tools, may ask for a restart.
How do I update apps on an older Mac that can't run the latest macOS?
The App Store offers the last version that runs on your macOS. Download it from your purchased apps. For apps from the web, check the developer's site for an older build that supports your system. Intel Macs can run up to macOS 26 Tahoe.
Why can't I update macOS on my Mac?
The most common causes are too little free space and a Mac too old for the new release. Software Update shows the download size, and the installation needs extra room on top of it. Also check that your Mac model appears in Apple's list of supported Macs for that macOS.
What happens if I don't update my apps?
The apps keep working, but they also keep their security holes. Verizon's 2026 Data Breach Investigations Report found that 31% of breaches now start with software vulnerabilities, ahead of stolen passwords. Old versions also stop opening after some macOS upgrades, as Intel‑only apps will on macOS 28.
Is there a free way to see every app that needs an update?
Yes. App Update Monitor from Nektony is free in the Mac App Store and lists available updates for App Store and developer‑site apps. The free open‑source Latest supports apps from the App Store and apps that use Sparkle, so it misses the rest.