How to Update Your Apps on a Mac (App Store and Other Apps)

You want to make sure the apps on your Mac are up to date — for new features, fixes, and important security patches.

Why: Apps you get from the Mac App Store update through the App Store app, while apps from elsewhere usually update themselves or have a built-in “Check for Updates” command. Turning on automatic updates means you mostly never have to think about it.

Fix 1: Update App Store apps manually

Do this when you want updates right now rather than waiting for them to install on their own.

1. Open the App Store app.
2. Click Updates in the sidebar.
3. Click Update next to a single app to update just that one — or click Update All to update everything at once.
4. If you get a notification that an update is available, you can click Install straight from it.

Fix 2: Turn on automatic updates so it happens for you

Once this is on, your App Store apps stay current without any action from you.

1. Open the App Store app.
2. From the menu bar at the top of the screen, choose App Store > Settings (called Preferences on older macOS).
3. Select Automatic Updates so it’s turned on.

From now on, app updates download and install in the background.

Fix 3: Update apps you didn’t get from the App Store

Apps downloaded from a developer’s website don’t appear in the App Store’s Updates list — they update separately.

1. Open the app.
2. Look in the app’s menu (usually the menu named after the app, sometimes the Help menu) for Check for Updates, then follow the prompts.
3. If there’s no such command, the app likely updates itself in the background, or you update it by downloading the latest version from the developer’s website.

For Apple’s own software and macOS itself, use Apple menu > System Settings > General > Software Update — that’s separate from app updates.

FAQ

Why don’t all my apps show in the App Store Updates list? Only apps installed from the Mac App Store appear there. Apps from a developer’s website update through their own mechanism (see Fix 3).

Do automatic updates cost anything? No. Updates to apps you already have are free.

An update is stuck or won’t install. See our guide on what to do when the App Store won’t download or update apps on a Mac.

Sources: Apple Support — How to manually update apps from the App Store · Apple Support — Use the App Store to update apps on Mac