# Secure Your Mac: Scan for OS and Application Updates

The **Scan for Updates** remote action in Hexnode UEM provides IT administrators with real-time visibility into pending operating system and application patches, enabling data-driven prioritization of security deployments.

**Why Use “Scan for Updates” on macOS?**
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Neglecting critical patches can compromise device security and performance. This feature allows teams to categorize updates by importance, security level, or type, ensuring a consistently secure organizational environment.

- **Real-time Visibility:** Instantly identifies all available updates across the entire device fleet.
- **Prioritized Deployment:** Enables administrators to target critical security patches before minor app updates.
- **Fleet Stability:** Ensures all devices remain on compatible, optimized software versions.

**Prerequisites and Compatibility**
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To utilize this remote action, the managed endpoint must meet the following criteria:

- **Operating System:** The device must be running **macOS 10.13 or later**.
- **Connectivity:** The device must be **online** and communicating with Hexnode UEM to execute the action successfully.
- **Framework Support:** Hexnode detects updates relying on the **Apple MDM framework**, including macOS system updates and App Store applications.

**Step-by-Step Guide: Executing an Update Scan**
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Administrators can trigger a scan for a single machine or select multiple devices for a bulk operation.

1. Log in to the **Hexnode UEM portal**.
2. Navigate to **Manage > Devices**.
3. Select the required **macOS device(s)**.
4. Click the **Actions** drop-down and select **Updates > Scan for Updates**.
5. View findings under the **Patches and Updates** sub-tab of the device.

**Understanding Update Attributes**
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The **Patches and Updates** section organizes pending software into a structured data table for administrative review.

Data FieldTechnical 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**Categorized into levels: **Critical**, **Important**, **Moderate**, or **Low**.**Download Size**The maximum size of the update, used for network bandwidth planning.**Install Size**Indicates whether the update is a **beta version**, shown as True or False.**Version**The current operating system version of the device.**Status**Indicates if the update is **Approved** for installation through Hexnode or is **Pending**. Note: 
 If no updates are found, the portal displays “No available updates” alongside the current OS version and the last successful scan timestamp.

 

 
**Troubleshooting Guides**
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ProblemPotential Root CauseResolutionScan remains “In Progress”The device is **offline** or powered off.Ensure the device has an active internet connection. Administrators can re-trigger the scan once the device reconnects.Missing App Store updatesThe app was not installed via the App Store or VPP.Hexnode primarily manages updates that rely on the **Apple MDM framework**. Verify the app’s installation source.Action fails to executeOS version is older than 10.13.Confirm the device meets the **macOS 10.13+** prerequisite.Attributes not populatingSync delay between Apple servers and the UEM.Wait a few minutes for the MDM framework to fetch metadata or re-trigger the scan to refresh the cache.