How to Speed up MacOS Updates If You’re in a Rush
If you find yourself avoiding macOS updates more than any other software update, you are not alone. Even if you haven’t run into any stability issues or other bugs, macOS updates take so long that ignoring the update seems like a better alternative. After all, critical security updates are installed automatically in the background by default. Most people can live without some of the new features that new macOS updates bring, so we try to avoid that.
However, there is an easy way to reduce the time it takes to update macOS, and it’s hidden behind a harmless-looking button. If you use this feature, you can shorten the time it takes to download updates, and you can also speed up the installation process a little.
How to speed up macOS updates
The next time you want to update macOS, click the Apple logo in the upper left corner of your Mac desktop and choose System Preferences . Now click on Software Update to have your Mac check for new updates (Pro tip: Change System Preferences so all options are easy to find ).
If a software update is available, your Mac will display some information about it, such as “Updates are available for your Mac,” followed by a list of available updates. To reduce the size of the update, click “More” in the “Software Update.”
This will open up more information about each component included in the macOS update. You will see checkboxes next to each item, and you can quickly uncheck the checkboxes for items that you don’t need to be checked immediately. For example, you can skip updating to a newer version of macOS, but not to the command line tools for Xcode. You can go a step further and uncheck the macOS option, which will allow you to avoid deleting files from your Mac just to make room for an update.
When you’re done selecting these items, click Install Now to start the update. Your Mac will do the rest. Note that you may not always be able to uncheck updates on your Mac, but when you do, it will get you done faster.