The macOS Software Update Policy allows administrators to centrally manage and automate software updates across macOS devices. With Swif, you can define update behaviors, automate security updates, and defer updates according to your organizational needs.
Benefits of macOS Software Update Policy
Enhanced Security: Automatically install critical security patches and updates.
Consistent Updates: Ensure all managed devices receive uniform update experiences.
Reduced Downtime: Schedule and manage updates to minimize operational disruptions.
Creating a macOS Software Update Policy
To configure macOS software updates:
Log in to your Swif Console.
Navigate to Device Management > Policies.
Click Create Policy, and select macOS Software Update Policy.
Enter a descriptive Policy Name and an optional Description.
Customize the available settings based on your organization's update preferences:
Automatically Check for Updates: Enables automatic checking for available updates.
Download Newly Available Updates in Background: Download updates without interrupting the user.
Automatically Install macOS Updates: Installs downloaded macOS updates automatically.
Max User Deferrals
Description: Sets how many days users can defer an available macOS OS update before it installs automatically.
Behavior:
Swif collects daily Software Update List information from the device.
If an OS update is available, Swif checks the device’s policy:
If Automatically Install macOS Updates is true and Max User Deferrals is set to 0, Swif immediately sends a command to install the OS update.
Otherwise, Swif waits until the number of days in Max User Deferrals has elapsed to trigger the OS update install command.
In other words, if you allow user deferrals, the user can skip or postpone the update until the deferral period ends.
Example: If the Max User Deferrals is 5, users have up to 5 days to defer an update. On day 6, Swif enforces the OS update.
Install Action
Description: Specifies how macOS should handle an available software update when it’s detected on the device.
Possible Values:
Value | Behavior | Availability | Notes |
Default | Downloads or installs the update, depending on its current state. | iOS 9+, macOS 10.11+, tvOS 12+ | Check |
DownloadOnly | Downloads the update but does not install it. | iOS 9+, macOS 11+, tvOS 12+ | Useful for caching updates ahead of maintenance windows. |
InstallASAP | • iOS / tvOS: Installs a previously downloaded update. | iOS 9+, macOS 10.11+, tvOS 12+ | Ideal when you want users to update right away. |
NotifyOnly | Downloads the update and notifies the user through the App Store, leaving installation to the user. | macOS 10.11+ | No automatic installation occurs. |
InstallLater | Downloads the update and schedules installation for a later time. | macOS 10.11+ | Let macOS choose an optimal time (usually overnight). |
InstallForceRestart | Performs the default action and forces a restart if the update requires it. | macOS 11+ | Warning: May cause unsaved data loss. On macOS 15+, the restart might not occur automatically. |
Automatically Install App Store App Updates: Installs updates for apps from the App Store automatically.
Install XProtect, MRT, & Gatekeeper Updates Automatically: Keeps security components automatically updated.
Install Security Updates Automatically: Installs critical security updates without user intervention.
Allow Installation of macOS Beta Releases: Permits installation of beta software releases.
Restrict Software Update (Require Admin to Install): Restricts software update installations to admin users only.
Deferring macOS Updates
Swif allows you to defer macOS updates, helping to manage update rollouts carefully:
In the policy settings, select Defer macOS updates by type.
Enable Force update delay.
Set the number of days to delay updates for each update type:
Deferred Software Updates Delay: Delay general software updates. Users only see updates after the specified number of days post-release.
Deferred Minor Software Updates Delay: Delay minor OS updates specifically, ensuring minor updates appear to users only after the specified delay post-release.
Deferred Major Software Updates Delay: Delay major OS upgrades, making these updates visible only after the designated delay.
Defer non-OS Software Updates: Delays visibility of non-operating system software updates to users.
Each setting allows administrators to specify delays ranging from 1 to 90 days, providing sufficient time for internal testing and validation before rollout.
Coming Soon Features
Declarative Device Management for Software Updates (macOS 14+)
Swif will soon support a new advanced method of managing macOS updates using Declarative Device Management introduced in macOS 14 (Sonoma). This allows administrators to precisely schedule updates overnight to minimize user disruption.
Key Feature: "Update Tonight" using TargetLocalDateTime
TargetLocalDateTime: A timestamp (YYYY-MM-DDThh:mm:ss) specifying a precise update deadline. macOS notifies users about the pending update with an option to install immediately or select "Update Tonight" to schedule overnight installation.
Typically combined with TargetOSVersion and optionally TargetBuildVersion to define specific updates clearly.
Users see clear notifications (e.g., "Your organization will update your Mac to macOS 14.0 by 2:00 AM tomorrow"), offering seamless overnight installation choices, reducing daytime interruptions.
Deploying the macOS Software Update Policy
After configuring your policy:
Click Assign.
Select targeted devices or groups.
Save to apply the policy.
Swif will automatically apply the policy to selected devices.
FAQs
Can users manually override software updates?
By default, users can still manually check and install updates, unless restricted by the policy settings.
When are updates applied to devices?
Updates are typically applied based on the policy schedule and conditions, such as network availability and device activity.
Need Further Assistance?
Visit the Swif Help Center or contact Swif Support for additional assistance.
Last Updated: March, 2025