This article explains what Prompted Updates are and how they work on MacOS devices, and also includes frequently-asked questions.
Prompted Updates Documentation
What are Prompted Updates?
Prompted Updates uses an open-source application called Nudge to help update MacOS devices that are used by a single person. Prompted Updates prompt the user to update their device to the currently approved MacOS version.
Why do we need it?
Currently there is no way to manage updates and upgrades for MacOS devices from a centrally managed system that isn’t disruptive and/or destructive. Devices located in labs can be updated during off hours, but if the same command was run on all other systems it could force the update through in the middle of the day. Prompted Updates prompts users to update their devices on their own time. It gives them the option to defer the upgrade until it reaches the deadline.
How does it work?
Prompted Updates are configured within our MacOS Management platform called JAMF. This configuration depends on the MacOS version currently installed on the system. Prompted Updates looks at the configuration to determine what to do.
- If the MacOS version currently installed is older than what is configured, it will start prompting the installation of the new version every half hour -- at the top of the hour and again at half past.
- If the MacOS version currently installed is the same or newer than what is configured it will not prompt the user to update.
When Prompted Updates prompts for an update it will have a deadline. It will tell how many days remain to install the required MacOS version. The following actions can be taken:
- Defer the update in the following time amounts:
- Later – 30 minutes
- 1 hour
- 1 day
- Custom Time – Sets it not to prompt again until the specified time.
- Perform the update. This opens Software Update within MacOS and allows download and installation of the updates following the prompts.
FAQs
Q. When are we deploying Prompted Updates?
A. We are rolling it out over the next few months.
Q. What happens if the update doesn’t happen before the deadline?
A. If the deadline is passed Prompted Updates will blur out the background, not allow further deferrals to happen, and it will prompt every 5 minutes until the update has been done.
Q. Is there a way to opt out?
A. There is no option to opt out. We are deploying Nudge to align with best practices for security updates from Apple. If there is a technical reason to stay on a certain version, it is strongly recommended to be running the latest operating system from Apple.
Q. Will Prompted Updates pop up during a meeting?
A. No. It will not pop up as the active window during meetings; it will open in the background.
Q. Will Prompted Updates automatically update computers?
A. No. Prompted Updates is a notification tool that lets users know there is an update to perform so the update can be done at a convenient time.
What Prompted Updates looks like:
