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                   Do You Use It? Software Update on the Mac

   Adam Engst

   I started thinking about how we Mac users decide to update when
   covering a bug in the Software Update system that caused macOS 14
   Sonoma to be installed despite users dismissing the upgrade
   notification (see '[1]Ventura and Monterey Users: Beware Unwanted
   Sonoma Upgrades,' 22 January 2024). Happily, those unwanted upgrades
   seem to have stopped.

   The bug aside, the default settings in System Settings > General >
   Software Update > Automatic Updates (or System Preferences > Software
   Update > Advanced in macOS 12 Monterey and earlier) only check for
   updates and install low-level security updates. Is it uncommon to let
   Software Update download and install macOS and app updates
   automatically?

   My guess is that relatively few people ask for automatic macOS updates
   because an update could be triggered at an inopportune time. But is
   that true? And if I'm right, how long do people wait to install the
   different types of macOS updates: minor bug fix and security updates,
   interim feature releases, and major upgrades? We always offer guidance
   about when to update, but are TidBITS readers following our advice?

   That's where this week's Do You Use It? poll is headed: [2]when and how
   do you install macOS updates?

   A few notes. The poll has four questions, starting with which of
   Software Update's settings you have enabled. For that question, if your
   answer is None, don't answer the question at all, and I'll compare the
   number of responses with the other questions to determine the number.
   (I didn't think to add None to the answers until it was too late.)

   For the three other questions, which ask when you usually install the
   different types of macOS updates, answer for your primary Mac, and
   please note the word 'usually.' Specific situations will vary; I'm
   trying to tease out general approaches.

   Finally, with the last question about major upgrades, the 'Once the
   next major version of macOS comes out' answer is intentionally vague.
   That might be when Apple unveils the next version at WWDC in June, when
   the public beta is out in July or August, or when the next version
   ships in September. The point is to capture the intent of waiting until
   the current version is unlikely to change other than security updates.

   Thanks for participating in the poll, and I'll report on the results
   soon, along with my recommendations surrounding updates.

References

   Visible links
   1. https://tidbits.com/2024/01/22/ventura-and-monterey-users-beware-unwanted-sonoma-upgrades/
   2. https://talk.tidbits.com/t/do-you-use-it-software-update-on-the-mac/26869?u=ace

   Hidden links:
   3. https://tidbits.com/wp/../uploads/2024/02/Software-Update-settings.png

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