Turn Automatic Update Checks On or Off with softwareupdate

Enable or disable macOS background update checks from the terminal with softwareupdate --schedule.

macOSupdatesautomationsoftwareupdateMedium risk

Run sudo softwareupdate --schedule on (or off) to toggle automatic software update checks.

01Command

Command

$ sudo softwareupdate --schedule on

02What it does

softwareupdate is the command-line front end for macOS Software Update, and its --schedule flag flips the same 'check for updates automatically' switch you see in System Settings. Turning the schedule on lets macOS look for updates in the background; turning it off is common on managed machines where updates are pushed deliberately. Note this controls checking only — installing specific updates is done with softwareupdate -i.

03Risk

RiskMedium risk

RequirementsRequires administrator (sudo) privileges.

!Warning: Disabling scheduled checks means you must check manually with softwareupdate -l; security updates will not be flagged automatically. Some system-level automatic options (like automatic installation) now live in System Settings or MDM profiles.

04Undo

Undo

$ sudo softwareupdate --schedule off

05Sources

softwareupdate - macOS software update tool
SS64 · technical · 2026-09-17
Evidence: Documents softwareupdate --schedule on|off for enabling or disabling automatic background update checks.

Last verified: 2026-09-18 · Category: System & Settings