macOS update alerts

When Ask Adam has determined that your Mac needs an operating system update, you may see a large alert like this:

When you see this, you can trust that Ask Adam has verified the update. If possible, update your Mac immediately. If you can't, the best plan is to set yourself a reminder to start the update when you will be breaking for lunch or at the end of the day.

Be sure to pay attention to the urgency of the update and the deadline. If you can't update immediately, you can use the button in the lower right to be reminded again.

Urgency

The urgency of the update is shown at the top:

• A red stop sign 🛑 means this update is critical to keep your Mac secure and should be installed as soon as possible.
• A warning symbol ️️⚠️ means the update contains important fixes and should be installed soon.
• A green checkmark ✅ means the update is safe to install (but not as urgent).

Deadline

The deadline is listed on the left, as "Days Remaining To Update". Once the deadline arrives, this alert will become extremely persistent, making the Mac difficult to use. Please update your Mac well before the deadline. That way, if you hit a bump along the way, you can reach out and get help before it becomes an emergency.

Defer

If you can't update right now, you can dismiss the notification for 30 minutes, one hour, one day, or more using the 'Defer' button. 

Update or Upgrade?

You can update the current OS without upgrading to a newer OS, but you have to know where to click. Click ‘Update Device’ to open the Software Update settings. Then scroll down in the Software Update screen below all the upgrade info — look for “Other Updates Available” and click on the words ‘More Info’. From here, you can install any available updates for the current OS.

Resources

Ask Adam’s recommended macOS and iOS versions: https://askadam.io/guides/software-updates/

Update macOS on Mac: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201541

Apple security releases: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201222