Help · Mac apps
How to update apps on a Mac.
Apps on a Mac update in one of three ways, depending on where they came from. Keeping them current gets you fixes and security updates, and an app that's misbehaving is often fixed by an update.
Apps from the App Store
- Open the App Store and click Updates in the sidebar.
- Click Update next to an app, or Update All.
To have this happen by itself, choose App Store › Settings and turn on Automatic Updates.
macOS and Apple's own apps
Safari, Mail, Notes, Messages, Music and other built-in apps are updated with macOS. Choose Apple menu › System Settings › General › Software Update. Back up before a major macOS update, and see making room for a macOS update if it says there isn't enough space.
Apps downloaded from the web
Most apps you download from a developer's website update themselves. Look in the app's own menu (the one with the app's name) for Check for Updates…, or in its Settings for an automatic-update option. Some, like large creative suites, have their own manager app (for example Adobe's Creative Cloud app). If an app has no updater, check the developer's website.
Our apps work this way too: see updating Pangalin Space Manager and Pangalin Uninstaller.