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Secure Your Mac: Scan for OS and Application Updates
For organizations relying on macOS, a clear and efficient method for tracking pending operating system and application updates is essential. Neglecting these critical updates can seriously compromise device security and performance.
The Scan for Updates feature within Hexnode UEM provides IT administrators with real-time visibility into all available updates. This enables teams to easily prioritize installations based on criteria such as importance, security level, or update type.
Administrators can seamlessly execute this action across their entire device fleet, ensuring timely deployments, enhanced stability, and a consistently secure environment throughout the organization.
The device must be running macOS 10.13 or later.
Scan for updates
To initiate a scan for updates on macOS devices:
- Log in to the Hexnode UEM portal.
- Navigate to Manage > Devices.
- Select the required macOS device.
- Click on the Actions drop-down and select Updates > Scan for Updates.
Executing the Scan for updates action will trigger an immediate check for available OS and application updates on the device. All pending updates are then fetched and listed with their details under the Patches and Updates sub-tab of the device.
In the Patches and Updates section of the Manage tab, the information shown are:
| Data field | Description |
|---|---|
| Name | The formal name, version, and identifier of the update or patch. |
| Type | Indicates whether the update targets the OS or a specific Application. |
| Severity | The criticality of the update, categorized into levels such as Critical, Important, Moderate, or Low. |
| Download Size | Shows the maximum size of the update or patch, used for network planning. |
| Install Size | Indicates whether the update is a beta version (True or False). |
| Version | The operating system version of the device. |
| Status | Indicates whether the update has been explicitly approved for installation through Hexnode UEM (Pending or Approved). |
If no available updates are found on the device, the sub-tab will display “No available updates”, alongside the device’s current OS version and the date and time of the last successful scan.
- The Scan for Update action will execute successfully only if the device is online and communicating with Hexnode UEM.
- Hexnode can only detect and manage updates that rely on the Apple MDM framework, specifically macOS system updates and App Store applications.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):
- Is the end-user notified of the scan?
- Does the ‘Scan for Updates’ remote action initiate or schedule the installation of updates?
- Is it possible to trigger scans for multiple devices at once?
- What happens if a device is offline during the scan request?
The “Scan for Updates” remote action is executed silently in the background and is not visible to the end-user on the macOS device.
No, the Scan for Updates action only checks for available updates. It does not schedule or initiate the update installation.
Yes, the administrators can select multiple macOS devices under the Manage > Devices tab and apply the Scan for Updates action in bulk. The results will then be listed individually under each device’s Patches and Updates sub-tab.
The scan will be in progress. The action requires the device to be online and communicating with Hexnode UEM. Once the device reconnects, administrators can re-trigger the scan.
