---
title: "Managing OS Updates & Patch Management of macOS Devices"
slug: "managing-os-updates-patch-management-of-macos-devices-1"
description: "Discover how to manage and monitor OS updates and patch management on macOS devices for optimal performance and security using Scalefusion. This guide provides best practices and monitoring techniques."
updated: 2026-06-18T06:54:50Z
published: 2026-06-18T06:54:50Z
canonical: "help.scalefusion.com/managing-os-updates-patch-management-of-macos-devices-1"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.scalefusion.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Managing OS Updates & Patch Management of macOS Devices

macOS Update Management provides a centralized interface for deploying, monitoring, and managing operating system updates across managed devices. It enables administrators to maintain device compliance, automate update deployments, and gain visibility into update activity from a single dashboard.

Administrators can use macOS Update Management to:

- Deploy operating system updates to managed devices.
- Schedule update installations.
- Configure update enforcement deadlines.
- Publish updates to the Self-service application for user-initiated installation.
- Monitor deployment progress and update status.
- Review update activity through detailed event logs.
- View trends with the help of [trend indicators](/v1/docs/managing-os-updates-patch-management-of-macos-devices#trends)

Update deployments are managed through **Operations**, which provide a structured method for targeting devices, configuring deployment settings, and tracking installation progress throughout the deployment lifecycle.

## Pre-requisites

Before deploying operating system updates to your macOS fleet, ensure your environment meets the following requirements:

1. Configure [**OS Update Patch Management Settings for macOS**](/docs/configure-settings-for-os-updates-patch-management-of-macos-devices)
2. Enroll macOS devices with Scalefusion
3. Devices should have a minimum of 50% charging to install an update.
4. **Supported macOS Versions:**
  1. **Declarative Device Management (DDM)**: macOS 14.0 (Sonoma) and later.
  2. **Legacy MDM Protocol:** macOS 10.15 (Catalina) through macOS 13 (Ventura).
5. **Network Access**: Ensure target Macs have unhindered outbound communication to Apple's software update servers (*.[apple.com](http://apple.com)).

# Accessing macOS Update Management

To access Apple Update Management:

1. Sign in to the Scalefusion Dashboard.
2. Navigate to **Update & Patch Management**.
3. Click **macOS Update Management**.
4. The Apple Update Management console is organized into the following sections:

- [**Overview**](/v1/docs/overview-dashboard)
- [**Operations**](/v1/docs/operations)
- [**Updates**](/v1/docs/updates-library)
- [**Devices**](/v1/docs/device-management-1)
- [**Events**](/v1/docs/events-audit-logs)

![](https://cdn.document360.io/175c0eac-012f-4410-bdc5-ac60794f82d8/Images/Documentation/image-1B5H7LK4.png)

These sections provide different views of update-related information, allowing administrators to manage deployments, review device status, monitor update activity, and investigate update-related events. Click on links above to understand in detail what each section displays.

## Trend Calculations and Visual Indicators

Many dashboard metrics display a trend indicator to help administrators understand how a metric has changed over time. Trends are calculated by comparing the current value with the value recorded seven days earlier.

**Formula:**

Trend = Current Value − Historical Value (7 Days Ago)

**Example:**

- Current value: **15**
- Value 7 days ago: **10**
- Trend: **+5**

This indicates that the metric has increased by 5 during the last seven days.

### Trend Indicators

The dashboard uses visual indicators to represent changes in metric values using a directional arrow and the change value.

- **Positive change:** Displays a **green upward arrow (↑)** along with the increase in count.
- **Negative change:** Displays a **red downward arrow (↓)** along with the decrease in count.

For example, The **Total Devices** card displays the total number of devices currently enrolled in macOS Update Management and included in update monitoring and deployment activities. A trend indicator is displayed to show how the metric has changed compared to seven days ago.

Clicking the card redirects administrators to the **Devices** section, where they can view all managed devices and their update status.

![](https://cdn.document360.io/175c0eac-012f-4410-bdc5-ac60794f82d8/Images/Documentation/image-ANKZLZCK.png)