How Do I Kill Auto-Updates on a Mac?

[Palanan]

A few weeks ago we got a new Mac, and ever since then it’s been demanding to install updates for things I never use, like GarageBand and so forth.

I am not a natural Mac person, but I am forced to deal with this machine. How can I take manual control of the update procedure, and how can I stop getting updates for things I don’t want?

[Durzan]

Did you try googling it first?

[Algeh]

Can you uninstall the stuff you don't use so it won't be around to want updates? (I don't use a Mac, so I have no idea how many programs are considered some kind of "package deal" you're stuck with as opposed to things that you can individually choose to install or not. As a Linux user, that whole idea seems weird to me, but I remember it being a thing.)

[GloatingSwine]

Are you on a metered connection?

If you're not paying by the bit just man up and install the relatively small update.

[Palanan]

Originally Posted by Algeh
Can you uninstall the stuff you don't use so it won't be around to want updates? (I don't use a Mac, so I have no idea how many programs are considered some kind of "package deal" you're stuck with as opposed to things that you can individually choose to install or not. As a Linux user, that whole idea seems weird to me, but I remember it being a thing.)

Thanks for trying to help. I would dearly love to be able to uninstall these things, but I’m not sure how, and the employees at the Apple store didn’t seem interested in working with me.

As for the updates themselves, there’s a global way to toggle updates in the App Store, but I don’t see how to select or deselect individual items. They’re presented as a package deal, and trying to pull apart the package is what’s giving me trouble.

This is in Sierra, which has all the usual annoying, unwanted features by oh-so-clever designers who think they should be telling you what you want on your computer. As a former Linux user, it’s extremely frustrating. The fact that most of it is aggressively cutesy, and not at all germane to my needs, just makes it worse.

[Lacuna Caster]

Thanks for trying to help. I would dearly love to be able to uninstall these things, but I’m not sure how, and the employees at the Apple store didn’t seem interested in working with me.

I'm fairly sure individual applications can be just dragged to the trash with some user-authentication?

There are some tips here, but I don't seem to be getting these notifications myself. When I look in the app store I can see individual updates for various applications, but the machine doesn't nag me about it.