This detailed guide will explain how to use a fantastic app to keep all the rest of the apps on your Mac updated to the latest version.
MacUpdater is an app that has one job – to keep all of the other apps on your Mac up to date. It does this by scanning your drive and determining the version of each app you’re using. It compares those versions with a database that contains over 40,000 apps and their latest version. Then it presents you with a list of all your software and which items need to be updated. The best part? Each app update is one click away.
You can use MacUpdater to scan your drive and get the results for free. If you want the “one click update” feature it will cost you $9.99. For what it’s worth, I paid for this app before I had finished writing this guide – I find it that helpful. It identified every single app on my Mac and I had them all updated to the latest version less than 5 minutes later. For me, that’s a bargain at $10.
Note: this guide was not sponsored and I received nothing in return for writing it, I just think MacUpdater is a great value.
- Start by heading over to the MacUpdater home page (link opens in a new tab/window). Download the installer file and then double-click it when the download has completed. Drag the MacUpdater.app file to your Applications folder to install it.
- Launch MacUpdater by double-clicking it in your Applications folder. It will immediately begin to run a check on all the currently installed apps on your Mac.
- Once it’s done scanning all of your programs, a notification will appear.
- MacUpdater will list all of the apps on your Mac and their version numbers – the version you have installed and the latest version. If there’s an update available, the version number will be listed in red and there will be an Update App button next to it. Locate one of the Update App buttons and click it (even with the demo version of MacUpdater, you can use it to update 10 apps).
- After you click the Update App button, it will be replaced with two smaller buttons. Click the one that looks like a ‘down arrow’ (see screenshot below).
- This will display the update status for that app.
- In all likelihood you won’t have to do a thing – MacUpdater downloads the update in the background and then installs it for you. Once it’s finished updating it will notify you.
- If you’d like to double-check that the app has now been updated to the latest version, open that app and select its About menu item. Somewhere in there you should find the version number.
- Some apps may require action on your part in order to update. If that’s the case, MacUpdater will still download the update for you and will even start the installer file, then it hands it off for you to finish.
- By default, MacUpdater also realizes that sometimes it should give you a ‘warning’. For example, if you’re updating an app to a major new version it will let you know, and make sure you’re aware so that you can confirm you want to proceed. This can really help if the software is of the paid variety and will require more money in order to update to the latest major version.
- Select the Settings tab to review all of the options. You may or may not want MacUpdater to run each time your Mac starts – you can turn that feature on or off in the General Settings section.
- Click the Scanning & Updating tab to review even more settings. One incredibly helpful feature is the ability to keep a backup of the app before it runs the update, in case you want to revert back for any reason.
- MacUpdater will stay active in your Menu Bar and scans your apps for updates on a regular basis. If you want to quit it, make sure to use the Quick MacUpdater item in the Menu Bar drop-down list.
Now that you can easily keep all your Mac apps updated you’ve got time to review the rest of the macOS guides on our site :)
