Updating apps

Updating apps is very easy and allows you to update both managed and unmanaged apps, regardless of the install source. The Catalog Agent will search for applications on the Mac and compares them with apps available in the App Catalog. For all matches, an update action is attempted.

Some organizations may only want to update certain predefined applications. Please check this article how to achieve this:

Please refer to some exceptions, described hereExceptions

macOS 13 and later

On macOS 13 and later, the Catalog Agent autonomously performs app updates using an update schedule. This eliminates the need to create an update task/policy in your MDM solution. Updates can even be applied while the Mac is asleep so apps are fully updated once the user needs the app again.

The Catalog Agent uses a modern LaunchDaemon to check for updates based on the UpdateInterval key you need to configure.

Please refer to App Management (PPPC) to make sure all update can be applied without user interaction or privacy errors

Scenarios

Two scenarios are possible:

• Set UpdateInterval to 0 or leave unconfigured to disable the update schedule

• Set UpdateInterval to 1 or more to enable the update schedule. The schedule will run once every X days, based on the value set.

Check update schedule

To check the current configuration for the update schedule, run the following command:

% catalog --schedule-status

Example output:

Update schedule is enabled
Update interval in days: 1

macOS 12

Initiating app updates

sudo catalog -u

or

sudo catalog --update

The update option is only allowed to run once every x days, configured with the UpdateIntervalkey. By default once every day.

Exceptions

Some apps are not updated by the App Catalog:

• Custom exceptions: Using the preference key ExcludeAppsUpdate in the Configuration Profile.

• Mac App Store-apps: Apps from the Mac App Store are automatically updated, preferably by your MDM solution. Updating apps from the Mac App Store to the Non-Mac App Store version may have unexpected impact and the App Catalog is designed to ignore those.

• Microsoft 365-apps: App Catalog respects Microsoft AutoUpdate Channel preferences. If your organization has configured AutoUpdate in any form, Microsoft apps compatible with Microsoft AutoUpdate will not be updated by App Catalog and leaves it to Microsoft AutoUpdate. More information:

  • https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365-apps/mac/mau-preferences#channelname

• Adobe Creative Cloud-apps: Adobe Remote Update Managed provides an integrated way of updating Adobe Creative Cloud-apps. We suggest implementing this tool. Documentation: https://helpx.adobe.com/enterprise/using/using-remote-update-manager.html

In some rare ocasions, other apps may be excluded from updates as well. To identity which apps, visit https://portal.appcatalog.cloud/catalog. Excluded apps have a tag assigned "Excluded from updates".