(No longer possible) Ignore Sequoia for 90 days

[bogdanw]

Oh yeah! I have it too, sigh
Can we delete it?

With SIP disabled from Finder, with SIP enabled from Terminal in Recovery.

I have SIP disabled and only the profile from #60 installed. I deleted ProductMetadata.plist , index.plist and the Rosetta folder from /Library/Updates/ and rebooted. After that, Software Update found and installed without giving any notification (as it should) two XProtect updates.

 

[katbel]

With SIP disabled from Finder, with SIP enabled from Terminal in Recovery.

I have SIP disabled and only the profile from #60 installed. I deleted ProductMetadata.plist , index.plist and the Rosetta folder from /Library/Updates/ and rebooted. After that, Software Update found and installed without giving any notification (as it should) two XProtect updates.

Deleted 🙂, thanks
How do you know you had the two updates installed?

 

[bogdanw]

How do you know you had the two updates installed?

System Information- Software- Installations.
I also opened /Library/Updates just after restart and caught them being downloaded and installed.

 

[katbel]

Today I had the usual Updates available. I checked just in case and got the old

I didn't delete it, and today is still working LOL

 

[bogdanw]

Today I had the usual Updates available.

I got that too recently.

First I tried deleting ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.SoftwareUpdate.plist. It didn’t work, I got the notification again a day later.

Yesterday I tried setting the value of UserNotificationDate to 2035 inside ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.SoftwareUpdate.plist

defaults write com.apple.SoftwareUpdate UserNotificationDate -date "2035-01-01 00:00:00 +0000"

I’m curious if this trick fixes the phantom notifications.

 

[katbel]

I got that too recently.

First I tried deleting ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.SoftwareUpdate.plist. It didn’t work, I got the notification again a day later.

Yesterday I tried setting the value of UserNotificationDate to 2035 inside ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.SoftwareUpdate.plist

defaults write com.apple.SoftwareUpdate UserNotificationDate -date "2035-01-01 00:00:00 +0000"

I’m curious if this trick fixes the phantom notifications.

I love the 2035 😅
I'm doing the same experiment, thank you!

 

[DianaofThemiscyra]

Even though the profiles to stop notifications and to not download sequoia automatically are installed, My Macmini somehow downloaded itself (again!) ver 15.1 (but it did not installed it) and new notifications appear now... they can't stop trying to force you to update to sequoia... ... which I will probably be skipping. 🤦‍♀️

EDIT: PS: I forgot to say I get these notifications ALL THE TIME.

 

[bogdanw]

EDIT: PS: I forgot to say I get these notifications ALL THE TIME.

Have you tried setting UserNotificationDate to 2035?
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/ignore-sequoia-for-90-days.2436999/post-33666658

 

[DianaofThemiscyra]

Have you tried setting UserNotificationDate to 2035?
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/ignore-sequoia-for-90-days.2436999/post-33666658

I haven't but now I have. I'll let you know if any notification appears. Thank you, bogdanw!

Edit: typo

 

[bogdanw]

If defaults read com.apple.SoftwareUpdate also returns a value for MajorOSUserNotificationDate, set that to 2035 as well:

defaults write com.apple.SoftwareUpdate MajorOSUserNotificationDate -date "2035-01-01 00:00:00 +0000"

 

[katbel]

If defaults read com.apple.SoftwareUpdate also returns a value for MajorOSUserNotificationDate, set that to 2035 as well:

defaults write com.apple.SoftwareUpdate MajorOSUserNotificationDate -date "2035-01-01 00:00:00 +0000"

Since I followed your instructions , at the beginning of Jan, I never got a notification again!
So far.. don't want to wake up the beast 😉

 

[bogdanw]

Unlike the nondescript “Updates Available” notification, the “Upgrade to macOS Sequoia” notification might appear only after Sequoia is downloaded or at least macOS thinks it was downloaded.

I installed Sequoia on an external drive and forgot to delete the Install macOS Sequoia app from Applications. A few days after, I got the “Upgrade to macOS Sequoia” notification.

 

[katbel]

Updating to the latest Sonoma 14.7.3 I found this weird connection, that happened before I updated yesterday
being 1 week old at least
I only imagine that is something not on my computer but on Apple servers
It's only me?
BTW System Update now shows a brief Nothing to update, but then it goes to: Sequoia is available
It doesn't bother me because there is no notification, so far

 

[bogdanw]

Software update makes some unusual connections, including direct to Apple IPs and on port 80. To prevent the update from failing, I disable the firewall during update.

 

[Nats_DB]

Installed it. A question; After day 90 I expect a message with an update request (install Sequoia). When I refuse, can I expert a message at day 91, 92, 93,… or again after +90 days?

 

[bogdanw]

Installed it. A question; After day 90 I expect a message with an update request (install Sequoia). When I refuse, can I expert a message at day 91, 92, 93,… or again after +90 days?

The profile no longer hides Sequoia. As I previously explained, it's 90 days since Sequoia was released, not since you install the profile.

 

[thohnb]

Hi guys. I'm new to this.
Jusr curious, can I use this profile for upcoming 26 Os?
Just need to wait until everything still fine and then updating.
So all I need Is install profile?

 

[katbel]

The profile no longer hides Sequoia. As I previously explained, it's 90 days since Sequoia was released, not since you install the profile.

So far, I'm not bugged by the update
Profiles I have
NO Automatic Downloads

And Defer_90_days

No idea if the combination works because of the two or if it's just one of the two.
Not changing anything 🙂

 

[bogdanw]

Jusr curious, can I use this profile for upcoming 26 Os?

I have some bad news for everybody, Apple's documentation currently lists all the delay values as “Deprecated”.
That means the profile will likely not work to hide any future macOS upgrades.
“enforcedSoftwareUpdateMajorOSDeferredInstall - Deprecated”
“forceDelayedMajorSoftwareUpdates - Deprecated”
https://developer.apple.com/documentation/devicemanagement/restrictions

 

[A.F]

Apologies if this is considered 'necroing', but since Google leads here three times just in the first results page..

Edit: After a break and some much needed coffee, made some progress. Really wasn't thinking..

@bogdanw my apologies for tagging you, but if you have the inclination:
- using your profile on post #60 should (cannot check) have disabled future auto-updates, but it appears to leave security responses + relevant nagging still active. Is there a similar profile you could share for those?
- using your profile on post #67 (plus typing the relevant terminal command afterwards) hasn't removed the red badge in system settings. Is this because i already have a notification for a security update? Which are still active? Or were you describing a different badge altogether?

Will naturally understand if you can't be bothered

* If this is considered off topic (am not after delaying), perhaps you could PM if the mods are kind enough to let the post visible.

 

[bogdanw]

- using your profile on post #60 should (cannot check) have disabled future auto-updates, but it appears to leave security responses + relevant nagging still active. Is there a similar profile you could share for those?

That should be mostly for XProtect updates. What nagging are you seeing?

- using your profile on post #67 (plus typing the relevant terminal command afterwards) hasn't removed the red badge in system settings.

Give Terminal Full Disk Access, run

defaults read ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.systempreferences.plist AttentionPrefBundleIDs

defaults read com.apple.SoftwareUpdate UserNotificationDate

defaults read com.apple.SoftwareUpdate MajorOSUserNotificationDate

and post the results. They should tell us what is causing the red badge.

 

[A.F]

post the results

Appreciate your taking the time
Have daughters running around and buttons will be pressed.. in the interrim, someone (no names mentioned, nope) pressed the shiny red button for me, so am now officially on Sequoia 15.6.1!
So, no more badge! Nice huh..

As however this remains of interest to me (would go for a total block of this if possible), results as requested:

1) "com.apple.FollowUpSettings.FollowUpSettingsExtension" = 0;
2) 2050-01-01 00:00:00 +0000
3) 2050-01-01 00:00:00 +0000

Hopefully you're seeing what you were expecting?
And if you are, i have a second and final question for you, yes, final, i promise;

Is there a way, with mobileconfig again, to block the automated checking for updates Apple does?
So you know, we avoid this occuring again. My understanding is macOS still checks/compares?

And once again Bogdan, my sincere thanks for your time man, truly.

 

[bogdanw]

1) "com.apple.FollowUpSettings.FollowUpSettingsExtension" = 0;
2) 2050-01-01 00:00:00 +0000
3) 2050-01-01 00:00:00 +0000

And if you are, i have a second and final question for you, yes, final, i promise;

1. As you have updated to Sequoia 15.6.1, you can remove the profile from post 67. There should be no red badge after.
2&3 2050? Have you set them from Terminal? As mentioned in posts 80 & 85.

Is there a way, with mobileconfig again, to block the automated checking for updates Apple does?
So you know, we avoid this occuring again. My understanding is macOS still checks/compares?

You can disable “Check for updates” with a profile, but as you are on macOS 15.6.1, you should update to 15.7 and subsequent versions of Sequoia, when they will be available.

Example created with iMazing Profile Editor https://apps.apple.com/app/imazing-profile-editor/id1487860882

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<dict>
    <key>PayloadContent</key>
    <array>
        <dict>
            <key>AutomaticCheckEnabled</key>
            <false/>
            <key>AutomaticDownload</key>
            <false/>
            <key>AutomaticallyInstallMacOSUpdates</key>
            <false/>
            <key>CriticalUpdateInstall</key>
            <false/>
            <key>PayloadDisplayName</key>
            <string>Software Update</string>
            <key>PayloadIdentifier</key>
            <string>com.apple.SoftwareUpdate.69E1A196-5202-45FF-BC29-6FFD75D31297</string>
            <key>PayloadType</key>
            <string>com.apple.SoftwareUpdate</string>
            <key>PayloadUUID</key>
            <string>69E1A196-5202-45FF-BC29-6FFD75D31297</string>
            <key>PayloadVersion</key>
            <integer>1</integer>
        </dict>
    </array>
    <key>PayloadDisplayName</key>
    <string>DisableSoftwareUpdate</string>
    <key>PayloadIdentifier</key>
    <string>macOS.C822C2E5-325D-4686-9C29-A5543796F10B</string>
    <key>PayloadScope</key>
    <string>System</string>
    <key>PayloadType</key>
    <string>Configuration</string>
    <key>PayloadUUID</key>
    <string>C822C2E5-325D-4686-9C29-A5543796F10B</string>
    <key>PayloadVersion</key>
    <integer>1</integer>
    <key>TargetDeviceType</key>
    <integer>5</integer>
</dict>
</plist>

More bad news, all values for SoftwareUpdate, The payload that configures the software update policy, appear to be depreciated in macOS 26.
https://developer.apple.com/documentation/devicemanagement/softwareupdate

 

[A.F]

@bogdanw if i may thank you once more, truly appreciate it

Will remove the previous mobileconfig and add the one you just listed. Much obliged again, i mean it.

As to updates..
Been at this one way or another since Spectrums.. while i appreciate the theoretical, over the decades my practices have evolved/been optimised to a point where i'm not particularly influenced by the "dangers" out there, in multitude as they indeed are.
Between my firewall settings, my firefox settings (about:config+policies), my very customised uBlock Origin settings, my individualised Intego settings and finally my own practices?
Nuh. No updates for me, thanks.

Do all the programs i need currently function? Am i ever an issue of a PEBKAC occuring? Number one factor, the human's ignorance/weakness? No? then see above
If it's not broken, i don't try and fix it. Keeps me healthy!