Disable Automatic macOS Updates
In enterprise environments, controlling when and how macOS updates are installed is crucial for maintaining system stability and ensuring compatibility with business applications. This tutorial shows how to disable automatic macOS updates using shell scripts.
Understanding macOS Update Settings
macOS has two main automatic update behaviors:
- Automatic Download: Downloads updates in the background
- Automatic Check: Periodically checks Apple's servers for new updates
Both can be controlled via the com.apple.SoftwareUpdate preference domain.
Basic Scripts
Disable Automatic Download
#!/bin/bash
defaults write /Library/Preferences/com.apple.SoftwareUpdate AutomaticDownload -boolean falseDisable Automatic Check
#!/bin/bash
defaults write /Library/Preferences/com.apple.SoftwareUpdate AutomaticCheckEnabled -boolean falseEnterprise Deployment Script
For large-scale deployment across your MacFleet:
#!/bin/bash
# Disable Automatic macOS Updates - Enterprise Script
# Compatible with macOS 10.14+
# Function to log messages
log_message() {
echo "$(date '+%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S') - $1" | tee -a /var/log/macos_update_config.log
}
# Function to get current user
get_current_user() {
stat -f "%Su" /dev/console
}
# Main configuration function
configure_updates() {
local current_user
current_user=$(get_current_user)
log_message "Starting macOS update configuration for user: $current_user"
# Disable automatic download
if defaults write /Library/Preferences/com.apple.SoftwareUpdate AutomaticDownload -boolean false; then
log_message "✓ Automatic download disabled successfully"
else
log_message "✗ Failed to disable automatic download"
return 1
fi
# Disable automatic check
if defaults write /Library/Preferences/com.apple.SoftwareUpdate AutomaticCheckEnabled -boolean false; then
log_message "✓ Automatic check disabled successfully"
else
log_message "✗ Failed to disable automatic check"
return 1
fi
# Disable automatic installation (additional security)
if defaults write /Library/Preferences/com.apple.SoftwareUpdate AutomaticallyInstallMacOSUpdates -boolean false; then
log_message "✓ Automatic installation disabled successfully"
else
log_message "✗ Failed to disable automatic installation"
fi
# Kill Software Update preferences to force reload
killall -HUP cfprefsd 2>/dev/null || true
log_message "macOS update configuration completed"
return 0
}
# Verification function
verify_configuration() {
local download_status check_status install_status
download_status=$(defaults read /Library/Preferences/com.apple.SoftwareUpdate AutomaticDownload 2>/dev/null || echo "not set")
check_status=$(defaults read /Library/Preferences/com.apple.SoftwareUpdate AutomaticCheckEnabled 2>/dev/null || echo "not set")
install_status=$(defaults read /Library/Preferences/com.apple.SoftwareUpdate AutomaticallyInstallMacOSUpdates 2>/dev/null || echo "not set")
log_message "Configuration verification:"
log_message " Automatic Download: $download_status"
log_message " Automatic Check: $check_status"
log_message " Automatic Install: $install_status"
}
# Execute main function
if configure_updates; then
verify_configuration
log_message "Script executed successfully"
exit 0
else
log_message "Script execution failed"
exit 1
fiVerification Script
Check current update settings:
#!/bin/bash
echo "=== macOS Update Settings Status ==="
echo "Automatic Download: $(defaults read /Library/Preferences/com.apple.SoftwareUpdate AutomaticDownload 2>/dev/null || echo 'Not configured')"
echo "Automatic Check: $(defaults read /Library/Preferences/com.apple.SoftwareUpdate AutomaticCheckEnabled 2>/dev/null || echo 'Not configured')"
echo "Automatic Install: $(defaults read /Library/Preferences/com.apple.SoftwareUpdate AutomaticallyInstallMacOSUpdates 2>/dev/null || echo 'Not configured')"Re-enabling Updates
To restore automatic updates:
#!/bin/bash
# Re-enable automatic download
defaults write /Library/Preferences/com.apple.SoftwareUpdate AutomaticDownload -boolean true
# Re-enable automatic check
defaults write /Library/Preferences/com.apple.SoftwareUpdate AutomaticCheckEnabled -boolean true
# Re-enable automatic installation
defaults write /Library/Preferences/com.apple.SoftwareUpdate AutomaticallyInstallMacOSUpdates -boolean true
echo "Automatic updates re-enabled"Troubleshooting
| Issue | Solution |
|---|---|
| Settings revert after restart | Ensure scripts run with admin privileges |
| System Preferences shows old values | Restart System Preferences or run killall -HUP cfprefsd |
| Changes don't apply | Check /var/log/macos_update_config.log for errors |
| Updates still download | Verify the preference file permissions |
Important Notes
- Users with admin privileges can manually change these settings
- The System Preferences/Settings app may need to be restarted to reflect changes
- Consider using Configuration Profiles for stricter enforcement
- Test on a small group before enterprise-wide deployment
Configuration Profile Alternative
For stricter control, consider deploying a Configuration Profile instead:
<key>AutomaticCheckEnabled</key>
<false/>
<key>AutomaticDownload</key>
<false/>
<key>AutomaticallyInstallMacOSUpdates</key>
<false/>
