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How to Update macOS System Software with Software Update

How to Update macOS System Software with Software Update

Like other Apple products, the Mac also receives software updates with reasonable frequency.

They usually bring some new features to the operating system. However, updates always solve possible errors or holes that can compromise the security of the computer itself and the user.

It is essential to keep your Mac fully updated to the latest version of the operating system available. These, in addition to including visual novelties, also improve the stability, performance, and security of the equipment. If you are new to the Mac world, surely you do not know very well how to perform this update process, which is simple, as you can see in the extensive explanation that we will give you in this article.

First of all, backup!

The upgrade process itself is pretty straightforward, but it never hurts to reinforce that basic recommendation: before installing any update, make a backup have no headache afterward. 🙂 You can use this guide: How to Backup a Mac in Simple Steps

That said, let’s get to the update itself! 👨 💻

How to update your macOS?

To check if there is a new one, go to System Preferences » Software Update and click “Update Now” to install it.

At this point, you may be prompted to enter your Mac’s administrator password (the one that was used to unlock your Mac) and accept the system terms of use.

You can even customize the way macOS updates behave. Check the box next to “Keep your Mac updated automatically” to keep your computer always up to date.

This is the same control panel that you can use to toggle different settings in macOS 10.14 onward, so if there are any automatic updates to Mac OS you would like disabled, it’s accessible via this menu too.

Are there risks from upgrading macOS?

There are more risks for not updating at all and as we mentioned in the previous section. In large versions, there is some risk that some applications will not work as well as they should or even not work. This is because developers must have implemented the necessary improvements to make their software compatible with the new Mac. However, this problem is usually solved quickly. Another possibility for which we could have an unpleasant experience is performance and especially battery management since it is possible that in early versions, a greater consumption is experienced in the MacBook.

Here is a guide that you can follow to improve your MAC’s performance: How to improve the performance of a slow MAC

The instability is also a point to consider, although Apple tries to rush the development of macOS to the maximum to launch a final version that does not generate problems. Any other errors or failures could be directly related to the computer and not to the software appearing in any version. In any case, it is always recommended that you make a backup before updating, either through Time Machine, which is the official tool that Apple has, or manually saving your essential files on an external disk or in a cloud storage service.

Will it take long for the computer to update?

When you update any device, you must be clear that the procedure is divided into two stages: the download and the installation. During the first one, we found that the internet connection is a significant factor since if you do not have it, you will not be able to download the update from Apple’s servers. The speed you have will also be essential for taking more or less time to finish this process. The weight of the update is also linked to it, and is that the more data, the longer it will take your Mac to download and install it.

Of course, there are times when you could suffer some delay regardless of what speed you have and how much the update weighs. This occurs when Apple’s servers collapse because there are thousands of people simultaneously trying to update their equipment. This happens especially in the first hours of the launch, so it is advisable to always update after a few hours to avoid so much traffic. In any case, this is a process that should not exceed 45 minutes in general.

Conclusion:

As you have already seen, the method to update a Mac is tremendously simple, and that is why there is no excuse for not having a computer updated to the latest version available. If you want to check the operating system version that you have right now on your computer, you can do so by clicking on the ‘Apple‘ menu in the upper left corner and then clicking on ‘About this Mac.’ Here you can consult this information that can be very useful.

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