macOS Software Update Experience

Every year, Apple releases a new version of macOS; this year's is macOS 26, Tahoe. With each release comes changes to the software update workflow you should be aware of. Let's take a look at the most recent experience you should expect, along with what you may see in older operating systems. Remember, we're specifically looking at macOS updates, moving from macOS 26.0 to 26.1 - these are sometimes referred to as "minor updates", "point updates", or "security updates" (Update or upgrade). 

macOS 26 - Tahoe

Once you upgrade to macOS 26, you'll be eligible for a new, smoother update experience. When an update is due, you'll be notified that it has been scheduled, just like you have in the past:

What's new here is that the updates will now use machine learning to try to find the least intrusive time to apply said update overnight. You can see this more clearly if you open System Settings > General > Software Update:

This functionality was first introduced in macOS Sequoia (as you can see in the above screenshots), but Apple included some limitations on how it could be applied. We can finally take full advantage of it in macOS Tahoe. With this framework, your Mac will apply these point updates for you much more invisibly than before. Help the system take care of itself by keeping your computer plugged into power overnight, keeping at least 10% of your storage space free, and closing out of unused apps when you're done using them.

macOS 14 & 15 (Sonoma & Sequoia)

Apple is introducing a new method of applying software updates in macOS 14, Sonoma, that includes due dates. You may see these types of notifications in the top-right corner of your Mac. If you hover your mouse over the notification, you'll be presented with an "Options" button:

• Install: Reboot your computer immediately and apply the update
• Try Tonight: Schedule the update to run overnight - be sure to save and close out of your work at the end of the day so your Mac can automatically reboot

On the due date, at the defined time (device local time), your Macs will reboot to enforce the update. We strongly recommend running the update as soon as convenient once you've been notified to avoid work interruptions. You will get daily prompts/reminders leading up to the due date, which switch to hourly reminders during the last day.  The due date is set to 7 days from the release of the update by default - if there's a need to change this setting for your organization, please let us know.

For macOS 13, Ventura, and earlier, the update popups will have these options:

If you click the Options button, you'll be given three choices:

• Install
  Attempts to install the update immediately.
  
  
• Try Tonight
  Your Mac will queue the update and attempt to run it overnight. Please connect your Mac to a power source for best results.
  
  
• Remind Me Tomorrow
  Silences the notification until tomorrow. By default, you'll be given 5 deferrals for any given update before it will be automatically installed.

This new framework gives users more flexibility by encouraging them to run the updates as soon as convenient, including scheduling them to run overnight. Always remember that you can run your updates manually anytime, and you may still receive nudges when new patches are released.