Updating apps

Last updated 17 days ago

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 here: Exceptions

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.

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 to enable the update schedule. The schedule will run once every hour.

Starting with App Catalog 1.9.0, updates are checked hourly. A value higher value than 1 forUpdateInterval is interpreted as 1. For example, a value of 3 enabled auto-updates on a hourly basis.

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

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:

  • 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".