In our example, only one update is available at this time, but every item follows the same format, as shown: Available updates always appear as items in a list. Now let's take a look at the command's output. If no updates are available, you'll be returned to the command prompt. Wait as your Mac searches Apple's servers for any macOS software updates currently available for your system.Input the following command and press Enter: softwareupdate -l.This will open a Terminal window and a command prompt for you to begin typing. To update macOS from the command line, first launch Terminal, which can be found in the Applications/Utilities folder.Note that the following procedure only lists stock Apple system updates (iTunes, Photos, printer drivers the like), but not updates for other Apple apps that aren't installed with macOS (Xcode, for instance), and not third-party updates from the Mac App Store. How to Update macOS From the Command Lineīefore following these steps, ensure you have a full backup of your system, which should be par for the course when performing any update. Users with older Macs in particular will likely appreciate this tip, as it saves having to fire up the Mac App Store altogether, which can be slow-going and sometimes even downright unresponsive. In our tests, we found that this method was capable of shaving off several minutes of idle time during installation restarts, but that the time-saving depends on the machine and the update in question.

The process involves a simple Terminal command, and allows you to continue using your Mac as the update downloads and the initial software installation takes place in the background.

If you're sick of waiting for the progress bar to complete every time you reboot after a macOS software update, then you'll be pleased to learn there's another way to update your Mac that could potentially reduce your downtime.

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