How to Stop macOS From Updating Automatically

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It's essential to update your Mac operating system and apps, because some updates are required for your Mac. They're designed to boost overall security by ensuring that all the features on your computer are running smoothly.

Yet sometimes you want to defer a major macOS update for a while, to give yourself some breathing room to ensure that the upgrade won't break your Mac. It can also be annoying when an update starts downloading immediately when you're in the middle of something important.

Also, to avoid the inconvenience of losing crucial data, it is advised to back up your important files using the Mac Data Recovery Wizard tool before installing or updating macOS.

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Backup Your Mac and Never Lose Data

Back up and restore your MacBook/iMac without using Time Machine, iCloud, or an external hard drive.

Thus, in this article, we will discuss how to stop macOS updates and disable automatic updates. Let's get started.

Why would you want to prevent a macOS update?

Is your Mac feeling slow, or is the interface looking a bit outdated? You might be tempted to update to the latest macOS version. However, there are a few reasons why you might not want to update macOS. Here's why!

Because this process can be time-consuming, it can interrupt your work. Or, because the system is overloaded, your Mac might become sluggish. Such petty irritations add up and contribute to everyday stress.

So, if you are one of those who don't like to update your Mac very often, you must try disabling the update notifications and stop an ongoing macOS update.

How to Access macOS Update Settings

Keeping a Mac up to date can feel like a hassle, so some people prefer to control when their laptop gets new features. If that's you, you'll want to adjust your macOS update settings as follows:

Step 1: Click on the Apple icon in the menu bar.

Step 2: Select System Preferences from the drop-down menu.

Step 3: A new window will pop up; click on Software Update to access your macOS update settings.

An explanation of the available macOS Auto Update options: which ones to disable?

As you probably know, when you enter the macOS Auto Update section, you're greeted with multiple checkboxes. However, you might not be aware of what each one does and whether you should enable or disable it. To give you a clear understanding, we'll go through all available macOS Auto Update options one by one:

Download updates in the background when they're available: Use this option to automatically update all apps and macOS when new updates are available. If you prefer to update your operating system and other items manually, uncheck this option; otherwise, enable it.

App updates: This option lets the operating system update built-in apps when new updates are available, which means they can update even while you're using them. We recommend enabling this auto-update option so you always have the latest version of your apps.

Install macOS updates: This allows your computer to automatically update the operating system when updates are available. This can interrupt or delay your work, so it's best to disable this and manually update macOS when your Mac is idle.

Install system data files and security updates: This option includes two parts: updates to the security settings on your Mac that help detect and prevent the installation of malware, and a restart that removes any malware that was previously detected. System data files provide dictionaries, voice recognition, voice resources, and improved contact and event suggestions. Enable this automatic update option in Software Update preferences to make sure you get these background updates promptly.

How to Stop an Ongoing macOS Installation

If you have automatic updates turned on, your macOS might be updating in the background. If so, you might want to know how to stop it. Don't worry – this article will help you out. You can stop an ongoing macOS installation by following these steps:

1. Press and hold Command + Option + Esc.

Step 2: The "Force Quit Applications" window will appear.

Step 3: Click Force Quit to stop the installation of macOS.

How to Permanently Disable macOS Updates

When the basics don't work, we resort to using terminal commands to force the issue. The Terminal requires you to input commands as text. Follow these steps, and your Mac won't show the latest update:

Step 1: Open the Terminal app by pressing Command + Space or by searching for it using Spotlight.

Step 2: Once the terminal is open, type in the following command and press Enter:

sudo /usr/sbin/softwareupdate --ignore "macOS [Update Name]"

Step 3: Type your password, then press Enter again.

Does updating to macOS Monterey or Big Sur remove files?

Some users are afraid that system upgrades will wipe their personal information. While this is not a common occurrence, it does happen on occasion. Thus, it is recommended that you back up your data before installing an update. If you accidentally lose your data, you will need a reliable Mac data recovery software.

The Tool Data Recovery Wizard can restore a multitude of Mac documents (in various formats) such as photos, images, videos, audio files, Docs, PPTs, ZIP files, and more. Additionally, it can recover data from the Trash or a damaged hard drive.

Note: You can create a backup first by clicking on “Disk Backup” on the left. You can then restore data from the backup image in case of disk failure or accidental deletion/loss of data from the disk.

Step 1: Choose a location

Select the disk from which you lost data after upgrading to macOS Sonoma/Ventura/Monterey/Big Sur, and then click “Search Lost Files.”

Step 2: Look for the lost data after scanning

The "Tools" Mac Data Recovery Wizard will immediately scan the disk volume you've chosen, and display the results in the left pane. Use file types and file paths to locate the data you need on your Mac.

Step 3: Recover Data After Upgrading macOS

Select the target files that were accidentally lost during or after the update, and then click Recover to restore them all.

Conclusions

Apple always encourages all Mac users to install the latest macOS version. However, some users are hesitant to download and install macOS updates or core system updates for Mac because certain Mac apps may stop working or crash due to incompatibility issues. Hopefully, after reading this article, you can now easily block macOS updates. Additionally, if you accidentally lose data during a macOS update, we recommend using a data recovery wizard tool.