Apple Making It Harder to Avoid Nagging macOS Update Notifications

[ouimetnick]

The music app can handle your music the same way iTunes did without you needing to subscribe to Apple Music and Apple TV+ isn't advertised in the OS. It's just an app that you never have to open if you don't want to. Such minor things to complain about.

Not going to try. Apple completely destroyed the videos app on iOS. I have a library of guitar lesson dvds that I’ve named every chapter correctly so I can skip around. They took that necessary feature away from me. Now I can only pick/skip to certain chapters those videos with QuickTime.. So much for using my iPad Pro or iPhone for that now.

I used to be able to modify the Music app to have quick access to playlists, artists, or what ever I wanted. Now I’m stuck with Library, Radio, Search. Even though Apple Music is disabled I can’t change those bottom 3 buttons anymore. Also clicking on search brings up an advertisement for Apple Music.

 

[glowplug]

Maybe Apple could offer a $50 Amazon gift card for upgrading, they might find more takers.

 

[russell_314]

Not going to try. Apple completely destroyed the videos app on iOS. I have a library of guitar lesson dvds that I’ve named every chapter correctly so I can skip around. They took that necessary feature away from me. Now I can only pick/skip to certain chapters those videos with QuickTime.. So much for using my iPad Pro or iPhone for that now.

I used to be able to modify the Music app to have quick access to playlists, artists, or what ever I wanted. Now I’m stuck with Library, Radio, Search. Even though Apple Music is disabled I can’t change those bottom 3 buttons anymore. Also clicking on search brings up an advertisement for Apple Music.

Have you tried using a VM? It's great when you need to use outdated or unsupported software

 

[sakagura]

It's not about avoiding them but rather installing them when you want to. Meaning not while you're working on a critical document needed for school or work

Yeah you can defer Windows updates for 90 days. It's in the Software Update>Advanced Options.

Like a dozen people already mentioned it in this thread but for some reason people can't use internet anymore. Sorry. It's getting tiring dealing with this strange alternative reality where people don't read basic facts and simply want their ill informed opinions to replace reality. Either the internet messed people up or people are messing up the internet.

 

[konqerror]

Yeah you can defer Windows updates for 90 days. It's in the Software Update>Advanced Options.

This has not been true for over a year.

I think ya'll missed the sarcasm. The world lit on fire because Microsoft got pushy with updates.

You cannot defer any updates on Windows 10 Home. On Pro and above, you can defer Windows feature updates for 90 days but you can only defer security updates for 30.

 

[Rocko99991]

Forced updates slow machines and require new computer purchase to maintain same speed as older OS.

 

[russell_314]

You cannot defer any updates on Windows 10 Home. On Pro and above, you can defer Windows feature updates for 90 days but you can only defer security updates for 30.

You have to use the Group Policy Editor. There are directions here, worked for me:

How to stop automatic updates on Windows 10

Yes, it's possible to disable automatic updates on Windows 10, and in this guide, I'll show you how.

www.windowscentral.com

I tried this so I won't know till the next update but I suspect it will work. It's a bit much for non tech people though.

 

[canesalato]

You said

I understand that devs make software then abandon it shortly after. It doesn't make that software bad but rather unsupported. I think it's wrong when companies still sell but don't take responsibility as to why it doesn't work on Catalina. You can't expect Apple to support it forever. If you need to run outdated software a VM is your best way to go.

I don't expect Apple to support software forever. As long as users can stay on Mojave, I don't have issues in Apple breaking things in Catalina and beyond. =)
VMs do have their own problems.
From my point of view, Windows strongly pushes users to update, but they also take compatibility very seriously (some would say even too much). Apple has been breaking third party software CONSTANTLY (it's not just this 32-64 transition), but they haven't been forcing users to update. Now, starting forcing users to update while, AT THE SAME TIME, aggressively breaking third party software would be...mean. As a former Mac user, I hope they won't do that, as it seems user-(and dev-)hostile.

 

[Googlyhead]

Regardless of the Catalina quality issues; my big take-away from this is:
Apple deliberately disables a working feature to inconvenience users.

 

[DeepIn2U]

I don't think this change forces you to update. You just can't hide updates anymore. I'll be outraged along with you when they force updates though
[automerge]1590684208[/automerge]

You still have the choice not to update. Calm down

phew! Thanks guys for clarifying. It’s still a concern as I feel the next step is forced updates. We’ve been seeing Apple software being released request more recent OS versions.

I’ll stick with my plan to have my Standard user account as my primary, and my admin account barely in use until absolutely needed: software installations, OS updates and terminal “su” use so that sudo commands can execute.

 

[iGeneo]

Sorry Tim, I’m not going to upgrade to the Catalina Experience. I don’t want Apple Music (a service I don’t use and never will shoved down my throat. I also don’t want Apple TV+ trash shoved in my face either.

I bought the product and I don’t want advertising on my operating system. Already annoying on Mojave. The bugs present in Catalina ad the fact that my 2014 MBP works just fine and continues to receive security updates for the time being isn’t going to incentivize me. Once there are no more security updates, I’ll be forced to upgrade. Hopefully Catalina’s successor will be much better

There are other options

 

[russell_314]

Regardless of the Catalina quality issues; my big take-away from this is:
Apple deliberately disables a working feature to inconvenience users.

Or maybe they feel hiding updates can be a security risk? I'm okay with notifications but I can see the concern with the direction this is going.
[automerge]1590685556[/automerge]

I don't expect Apple to support software forever. As long as users can stay on Mojave, I don't have issues in Apple breaking things in Catalina and beyond. =)
VMs do have their own problems.
From my point of view, Windows strongly pushes users to update, but they also take compatibility very seriously (some would say even too much). Apple has been breaking third party software CONSTANTLY (it's not just this 32-64 transition), but they haven't been forcing users to update. Now, starting forcing users to update while, AT THE SAME TIME, aggressively breaking third party software would be...mean. As a former Mac user, I hope they won't do that, as it seems user-(and dev-)hostile.

No there is confusion in this thread. Apple is not nor have they said they will force updates. This is people speculating I'm guessing based on the direction Windows has taken. I can understand being upset if this happens but it hasn't and to my knowledge no one with information on the inside said it would.

 

[Allpaul]

Why does everyone rip on Catalina so much? I haven't had any issues with it on my 16" MacBook Pro.

 

[canesalato]

Or maybe they feel hiding updates can be a security risk? I'm okay with notifications but I can see the concern with the direction this is going.
[automerge]1590685556[/automerge]

No there is confusion in this thread. Apple is not nor have they said they will force updates. This is people speculating I'm guessing based on the direction Windows has taken. I can understand being upset if this happens but it hasn't and to my knowledge no one with information on the inside said it would.

Yes, yes, for now, Apple is just stopping people from disabling update reminders (nagging). But that too is a little user-hostile, as there are various reasons for not updating and we are talking about a terminal command.
However, Apple itself created further confusion and anxiety due to the output that the command returns:
"Ignoring software updates is deprecated.
The ability to ignore individual updates will be removed in a future release of macOS."

 

[zubikov]

It's a terrible user experience. I use my iMac for work. I'm logged in most of the time and have the iMac on sleep when I'm not working. I can't just take an hour of my day to update when Apple wants me to. The notifications are intrusive and annoying.

This type of user experience ,where I constantly have to break from my plans to cater to the machine's needs, is why I ran from Windows more than a decade ago.

Between the initial password bugs, instability issues, and the pestering update notifications that the users can't hide, Catalina has been a real POS. I can't think of many positives over the previous OS tbh.

 

[velocityg4]

You are absolutely, 100% on the nose. Window's settings are a convoluted mess with on average 5 different partially redundant locations for changes to be made.

Microsoft calls that brak'lul. Whoops! That's Klingons and redundant organs.

 

[russell_314]

Yes, yes, for now, Apple is just stopping people from disabling update reminders (nagging). But that too is a little user-hostile, as there are various reasons for not updating and we are talking about a terminal command.
However, Apple itself created confusion and anxiety due to the output that the command returns:
"Ignoring software updates is deprecated.
The ability to ignore individual updates will be removed in a future release of macOS."

Yeah I can see how that has room for interpretation but I'm not going to worry till it happens.

 

[Ubuntu]

Sorry Tim, I’m not going to upgrade to the Catalina Experience. I don’t want Apple Music (a service I don’t use and never will shoved down my throat. I also don’t want Apple TV+ trash shoved in my face either.

I bought the product and I don’t want advertising on my operating system. Already annoying on Mojave. The bugs present in Catalina ad the fact that my 2014 MBP works just fine and continues to receive security updates for the time being isn’t going to incentivize me. Once there are no more security updates, I’ll be forced to upgrade. Hopefully Catalina’s successor will be much better

FWIW the first part is no longer true - I use neither app and they don’t get in my way. The second part is 100% true.

 

[Scottsdale]

Why? Can’t! Apple. Get, its/ ****- TOGETHER? We simply cannot trust Apple to do the right thing. We have all ready seen that they force obsolescence on hardware by updating it with software meant to make it not work. Apple has a serious problem that extends beyond its inability to recognize hardware mistakes for more than three years (butterfly keyboard)! That major problem currently seems the inability to create, patch, and maintain stable software on both the Mac and iOS platforms. Sad!!! So many employees, and we have software that now has more bugs than Windows, by a long shot!!!

 

[russell_314]

It's a terrible user experience. I use my iMac for work. I'm logged in most of the time and have the iMac on sleep when I'm not working. I can't just take an hour of my day to update when Apple wants me to. The notifications are intrusive and annoying.

This type of user experience ,where I constantly have to break from my plans to cater to the machine's needs, is why I ran from Windows more than a decade ago.

Between the initial password bugs, instability issues, and the pestering update notifications that the users can't hide, Catalina has been a real POS. I can't think of many positives over the previous OS tbh.

You must be getting different notifications on Catalina than I am. I haven't had any that were intrusive and annoying. I'll knock on wood that this doesn't happen to me!

 

[ouimetnick]

Have you tried using a VM? It's great when you need to use outdated or unsupported software

Can’t run a VM on an iOS device can you? I just don’t understand why they didn’t keep the option to use the regular music app instead of a restricted one. They take away features from the Movies/TV app.

At this point I’m wondering why they even have an iTunes Music Store app. Just throw that into the cluster**** of a Music app and bloat it up some more. 😂

 

[canesalato]

Yeah I can see how that has room for interpretation but I'm not going to worry till it happens.

Fair enough. And thank you for the civilized and interesting conversation.

 

[arvinsim]

Someone doesn't want to look bad in front of the board and forces the software engineers to disable that feature to inflate adoption statistics.

 

[MallardDuck]

it's clear Apple wants as many users as possible to upgrade their Macs with all of the most recent operating system updates.

Then they darn well need to do something about both software quality and feature regression. iTunes was a bloated beast, but catalina's a disaster for media (especially album art).
[automerge]1590686500[/automerge]

Same here. My first modern OSX was Panther too. On this case I plan too keep Mojave as long as I can because several issues (not mentioning Catalina horror stories), but one of my concern, I still not convinced yet to moving my curated gigantic iTunes library into Apple Music app.

Don't do it if you have album art. Even on 10.15.4 it ate about 80% of mine.

 

[Regbial]

that's because it is 2020...
Don't blame Apple for that, but the lazy developers...

🙄 then Apple, being so interested in games and gaming as to make Apple Arcade (yet not realizing people want to own their games, just like their favorite movies, go figure) should help and scuttle the devs of the (few) Mac compatible games on Steam to upgrade their games.

and it's funny, you say it's 2020 yet this isn't a problem for like ALL PC gamers... they can all play their old games...

I mean if we're gonna play dumb games of meritocracy and shaming, let's play them well, ok? if the "norm" or majority of something is correct, then the abnormality here... is you.. (and anyone with your "it's 2020" argument...)