System updates

One of the first answers to questions about IT security is always: Install updates. Since apps and systems should always be up to date, it is advisable to set automatic updates.

Depending on your operating system, you may need to distinguish between system updates and app updates. Where relevant, we explain the differences and provide step-by-step instructions on this page.

• Linux
• macOS
• Windows
• iOS
• Android

macOS

System updates on macOS

This updates the macOS operating system to the latest version. System updates on macOS will also update all standard apps such as Mail and Safari. However, apps installed via the App Store need to be updated separately

1. Click on the Apple icon in the upper left corner of the screen.
2. Select System Preferences from the drop-down menu.
3. Click on Software Update.
4. If updates are available, you can click on Update Now to download and install the updates.

App updates on macOS

1. Open the App Store on your Mac.
2. Click on the Updates tab in the sidebar.
3. Here you will see a list of available updates for the apps you have installed. Click on “Update All” to install all available updates.

Automatic updates on macOS

Go to Software Update as described above and enable Automatic Updates to ensure that your system is always up to date. There is a small arrow next to Automatic Updates. Underneath it, Download new updates in the background and Install app updates from the App Store should be enabled.

Windows

In Windows, it is important to distinguish between system and app updates, mainly because all programs installed after the initial installation have their own individual update mechanisms. This means that in Windows, you must regularly check for updates for each program installed. This information can usually be found somewhere in the settings of the respective program.

System updates on Windows

1. Click on the Start menu (Windows logo) and select the gear icon for Settings.
2. Click on Update & Security (Windows 10) or Windows Update (Windows 11).
3. Click on the Check for updates button.
4. If updates are available, click on Install updates.
5. Click on Restart now if a restart is required to complete the installation.

Automatic system updates on Windows

• Go to the update settings as described above
• Click on Advanced options
• Enable Download updates automatically

Linux

In most cases, system and app updates on Linux can be considered as the same thing. Depending on the Linux distribution, the individual settings may vary slightly, but the principle is the same everywhere.

Ubuntu (including: Debian, Mint, PopOS,…)

System updates can be performed in two ways: via desktop programs similar to the App Store, or directly with a command in the terminal. In fact, modern versions of Ubuntu should be preset to perform all updates automatically. However, this should be checked. If in doubt, take a look here.

Updates via the desktop app

• Search for Software Updater

Updates via terminal (Ubuntu)

1. Open the terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T, or search for “Terminal” in the app menu)
2. Paste the following command into the terminal (right-click, Paste)

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y && sudo snap refresh

Automatic updates (Ubuntu)

In GNOME:

• Open “Software & Updates”
• Open the Updates tab
• Under “When security updates are available,” select the “Automatically download and install” option

Fedora

System updates can be performed in two ways: via desktop programs similar to the App Store, or directly with a command in the terminal. Modern versions of Fedora usually enable automatic updates by default. However, It is best practice to check if this is the case.

Updates via the desktop app (Fedora)

See Ubuntu

Updates via terminal (Fedora)

1. Open the terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T, or search for “terminal” in the app menu)
2. Paste the following command into the terminal (right-click, Paste)

• sudo dnf update

Upgrade to new Fedora version (about once a year)

To update to a higher version of Fedora, refer to the official documentation from the Fedora Project.

Automatic updates (Fedora)

See above under Ubuntu.

Tails

Tails comes with its own Tails Upgrader, which automatically checks for updates and installs them. However, this requires that the system is running long enough to complete the updates. So check again before shutting down to see if any updates are available. (Open Tails Upgrader in the app menu)

It is recommended to manually upgrade your Tails installation every few months. This is slightly more secure, and will decrease the time needed for future updates. For concrete instructions, go the Tails documentation.

iOS

System updates on iOS

1. Open the Settings app
2. General
3. Software Update: This will check for available updates.
4. Download and Install. You may need to enter your password.
   • Accept the terms of use when prompted.
   • The update will be downloaded and installed. Your device may restart during the installation process.

App updates

1. Open the App Store
2. Go to Updates
   • Tap your profile picture or the Updates icon in the lower right corner.
3. Tap Update All to update all apps.

Enabling automatic updates

For system updates

1. General
2. Software Update
3. Here you will find the option Automatic Updates. Enable this option.

For app updates

1. Open the Settings app
2. Apps (usually at the bottom)
3. App Store
4. Enable App Updates

Android

The exact names of the menu items may vary depending on the manufacturer of your Android device, but the principle is the same across all devices.

System updates on Android

1. Open the Settings app
2. At the bottom, tap About this phone or System
3. Software update or System updates
4. Download or Install. You may need to enter your PIN or password.

Automatic system updates on Android

Automatic system updates are usually enabled by default on Android. They are only accessible via the Developer Options, which should not be touched unless you know exactly what you are doing.

GrapheneOS

In theory, the above also applies to “normal” Android versions, but the following usually applies to GrapheneOS users:

If you don’t use your “Owner” profile regularly and are mostly in a user profile, the auto-updater (which only works in the Owner profile) may not always check for updates.

For all users: switch to the owner profile regularly and follow the manual method described above.

App updates on Android

Since different app stores are used here, we will simply list them all in order. While auto-updates are usually enabled by default for all of App Stores, it is best to confirm this manually.

Google Play Store

1. Open the Google Play Store
2. Go to “My apps and games”
3. “Update all”

Automatic updates in Google Play Store

1. Open the Google Play Store
2. Under the user icon, tap Settings
3. “Network settings”
4. “Enable automatic app updates”

Automatic updates in Aurora Store

1. Tap the gear icon in the top right corner
2. Tap “Settings”
3. Tap “Updates”
4. Tap “Auto-update apps”
5. Select “Install automatically.”

Automatic updates in F-Droid

• Settings
• Automatic update interval
  • Here you can set how often to check for new updates. (e.g. daily)
• Activate Install updates automatically

Automatic updates in Accrescent

• Settings
• Activate Automatic updates

Automatic updates in Obtainium

• Settings
• Enable background updates
• For faster updates: Allow parallel downloads

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