Overview
The Updates page shows the operating system updates waiting to be installed across your managed devices, and lets you install them. You can look at it two ways:
View | Shows | Use it to… |
Updates | Each pending update, and how many devices need it | Roll out one update to every device that needs it |
Devices | Each device with pending updates, and how many it has | Find the devices that are furthest behind |
Devices that are fully up to date aren't listed, so you only see what needs action.
The page covers macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, and iPadOS devices.
Open the Updates page
In Swif, go to Device Management > Updates. Switch between the two views with the Updates and Devices tabs at the top.
Updates view: roll out an update
The Updates tab lists each pending update:
Column | What it shows |
Update | The update's name, such as iOS 27.2 |
Devices Pending | How many devices still need it |
Use Filter to narrow the list.
Install an update on several devices
Click an update. A panel opens, showing its release date and the devices that need it.
Select the devices to update. To select every device, select the checkbox in the header.
Click Bulk Update.
Choose an install action, and the version to update to. See Choose how the update installs below.
To update one device, click the install button on its row instead.
The panel shows each device's progress:
Column | What it shows |
Device | The device's name and serial number |
Assigned To | The employee the device is assigned to |
OS | The operating system and the version it's running now |
Status | Where the update is: Pending Update (not started), or Update Queued (sent to the device) |
Scheduled For | When the update is scheduled to install, if it is |
Use the search box and Filter to find devices, and the refresh button to update the list.
Devices view: find the devices furthest behind
The Devices tab lists every device with at least one pending update:
Column | What it shows |
Device | The device's name and serial number |
Assigned To | The employee the device is assigned to |
OS & Version | The operating system and the version it's running now |
Pending Updates | How many different updates are available but not installed |
Pending Since | The release date of the device's oldest pending update, in UTC (YYYY-MM-DD). Blank if the release date isn't known. |
Pending Updates and Pending Since
Pending Updates: each available update that hasn't been installed counts once. A higher number means the device is further behind.
Pending Since: the date the device's oldest pending update was released, not the date Swif found it. An older date means the device has gone longer without an update, and is likely missing older security fixes.
Find the devices to patch first
The list starts with the devices that have the most pending updates.
To find… | Sort by |
Devices with the most updates waiting | Pending Updates (the default) |
Devices that have gone longest without updating | Pending Since, oldest first |
A device or person alphabetically | Device or Assigned To |
Search and filter
Search by device name, serial number, or the name of the person it's assigned to. Search ignores case, and spaces at the start or end.
Filter by operating system.
See a device's pending updates
Click a device to open its details. The panel shows:
how many updates are pending, who the device is assigned to, its operating system and version, and Pending Since
each pending update, with its Name, Version, Allows Install Later, and Released date
an install button for each update, which installs it on this device
Allows Install Later shows whether the update can be downloaded now, and installed at a scheduled time.
To update several devices at once, use Bulk Update in the Updates view. The Devices view installs updates one device at a time.
Click View Device to open the device's full record. Its Updates tab lists the updates available to install, with the same install button.
On Linux, pending updates are listed as individual packages, such as libsystemd0 or network-manager.
Choose how the update installs
When you install an update, from either view or from a device's record, the Update OS window opens. It works the same way on every platform.
Install Action (Mac example)
Option | What happens |
Install as soon as possible | The device downloads the update, installs it, and restarts as soon as the update is ready on the device. |
Download & schedule to install | The device downloads the update, and schedules it to install. Available for updates that allow installing later. |
Target Version
Choose the version to update the device to from OS Version, then click Continue.
Install as soon as possible restarts the device. Let users know before you choose it, especially during working hours.
A suggested approach
In the Devices view, sort by Pending Since to find devices with the oldest missed updates. These are often the most exposed.
Sort by Pending Updates to find devices with the largest backlog.
In the Updates view, select an important update, such as a security release, and use Bulk Update to install it on every device that needs it.
For ongoing updates, set up a software update policy for each platform, so devices stay current without manual work.
Platform | Policy |
macOS, iOS, iPadOS | |
Windows | |
Linux |
FAQ
Why don't all my devices appear?
Only devices with at least one pending update are listed. Devices that are fully up to date aren't shown.
Why is Pending Since blank for a device?
The release date of its pending updates isn't known. The device still appears, with its number of pending updates.
Is Pending Since in my time zone?
No. Dates are in UTC, so a date can differ by a day from your local time.
What do the statuses mean?
Status | Meaning |
Pending Update | The update is available, but you haven't started installing it. |
Update Queued | The update was sent to the device, and is waiting to install. It installs when the device is online and ready. |
Why can't I choose "Download & schedule to install"?
The update doesn't allow installing later. Check its Allows Install Later value in the device's details. Use Install as soon as possible instead.
Why does a Linux device have so many pending updates?
On Linux, each package with an available update counts separately, so a device can have many.