Just like Windows, macOS also constantly receives new system updates, which allow you to increase the security level of Macs and MacBooks, correct problems encountered up to that moment and add new features and new apps, so you can always make the most of it. the new computer.But for those unfamiliar with the Mac world it could be in difficulty with the application of updates, especially if we do not set the automatic update (which is not recommended by Apple itself) and we do not know how to proceed manually.
In this guide we will show you in fact how to update a Mac in a simple and immediate way, so as to always keep the system in step with the times.
How to update Mac
The methods to update a Mac are really numerous, it is up to us to choose the one that best suits our needs and the time available to us (some updates are much faster than others).
If we have not received any updates on our Mac for at least a year, it is possible that the Mac in our possession is out of support: to verify this situation, we check if our device is present in the list of vintage and obsolete Apple products, for which it is not no system update expected.
How to set up automatic updates
To avoid having to apply system updates by hand every time, we can program the Mac to search for new updates by itself and apply them in moments of system inactivity or at the next restart of the machine.
In this regard, we can set automatic Mac updates by pressing the icon at the bottom System Preferences in the Dock bar by clicking on the menu Software update and making sure there is a check mark on the item Keep your Mac updated automatically.
By doing so, the Mac will always be up to date, with no where to do anything. The operating system allows you to choose what to automate the update process: all we have to do is press the button advanced on the previous screen and check which items are active.
To always get the most out of your Mac, we recommend that you leave all entries active, so you never have to worry about updates.
How to manually update a Mac
If we have not received an update for many months or have chosen not to check the item seen in the previous chapter, it is worth checking for updates at least once a month, so as not to miss a single release of macOS.
To manually update the Mac let's take the path System Preferences -> Software Update, we wait for the online search and, if the system signals the presence of an update, we press the button Update now to start the procedure.
The system will download the detected update and install it, so you can immediately benefit from it (it will still be necessary to proceed with a restart).
How to update via Combo Update
Another method to update the Mac involves the use of the so-called Combo Updates, ie images of the entire macOS operating system with the addition of the updates released from the first day it was made available.
These files are very large and will take a long time to install (especially for download); if we want to follow this path, just download the Combo Updates from the official Apple website in the form of a DMG file (like any other file that can be installed on Mac).
At the end of the download double click on the file DMG, open the volume that will open on the desktop at the top right, double click on the file PKG and we follow the procedure described in the installer, so as to be able to obtain the updated version of the operating system.
Updating your Mac in this way will take much longer, but it will also allow you to update systems that, for whatever reason, were unable to display the update with the built-in tools.
How to update via clean install
The last known system to be able to update a Mac involves starting the clean installation of the system, which will erase all our customizations and apps and force the start of the new installation of macOS with the updates already present.
To proceed in this sense, press CMD + R on the keyboard of the Mac just started to access the recovery console, then press on the item MacOS reinstallation.
The system (connected to the Internet) will download the latest image of the operating system (with the updates included) and initialize the main disk, so that you can reinstall macOS from scratch; at the end we will have a new operating system updated and ready to use.
If, on the other hand, we want to restore the macOS operating system via USB key, we invite you to continue reading in our article Clean installation of MacOS on Mac from USB stick.
Conclusions
As mentioned several times in the guide, keeping your Mac constantly updated is of vital importance, since only in this way will we always have the latest news and the latest versions of the system apps already present (such as Safari, Mail, Preview etc.).
Usually the automatic update is already active from the first installation, but better check the menu from time to time System Preferences and check if there are any new updates not reported.
Since updates are important on any operating system, we also recommend our guides on How to update Windows 10: Windows Update Guide, like Check for updates on Huawei, Samsung and Android mobiles and finally How to update an iPhone.