As the dust settles on Apple's macOS 10.14 Mojave announcement at WWDC on Monday, developers are already busy digging into the beta version that Apple made available to download shortly after the keynote for testing purposes.

Among other headlining features, Apple is introducing a new redesigned Mac App Store with MacOS Mojave, and as part of the change, it looks as if Apple has decided to stop delivering system software updates via the Mac App Store's Updates tab.

macos mojave system updates 0
Instead, Apple has moved the system update mechanism to System Preferences, and in doing so has re-introduced the Software Update preference pane of old. The re-instated pane, which was discovered by a Reddit user, includes Advanced options previously found in the old Mac App Store preference pane, which it replaces.

The change will likely be warmly received by Mac owners, as it means they will no longer have to open the Mac App Store to check for and download system updates, which has been criticized for being a slow and clunky affair in current versions of macOS. As expected, the Mac App Store will continue to be the delivery mechanism for individual app updates, the section for which can be accessed via a new sidebar.

macos mojave system updates 1
macOS Mojave is limited to registered developers at this time, but later in the summer, Apple plans to make a public macOS Mojave beta available, giving public beta testers a chance to try the software before it sees a public launch in the fall.

Apple likes to focus on tentpole features when it unveils a new operating system, but there are always lots of small tweaks and improvements that gradually come to light in the days and weeks after the WWDC keynote. Stay tuned to MacRumors for upcoming coverage of all the little things new to macOS Mojave and iOS 12.

Related Forum: macOS Mojave

Top Rated Comments

CJM Avatar
98 months ago
Yeah, bothered me a bit that it is in the App Store. This is much more sensible.
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Asarien Avatar
98 months ago
I can't fathom why this application still hasn't been renamed to 'Settings,' yet.
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
potatis Avatar
98 months ago
But most importantly: does the cog-wheel rotate?
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
fairuz Avatar
98 months ago
Oh thank goodness. System updates were always a pain in the Mac App Store, and it didn't make sense that they were there.

Last time I had to message Apple support, they wanted me to update my minor rev of Sierra before diagnosing stuff. I opened the MAS, went to the updates section, and it said I was up to date. After lots of back and forth and the service person probably thinking I'm an idiot, trying to find a DMG somewhere online instead, the update randomly appeared. No loading wheel or anything before that. And it was an update from weeks ago.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Kognito Avatar
98 months ago
macOS Mojave is limited to registered developers at this time, but later in the summer, Apple plans to make a public macOS High Sierra beta available, giving public beta testers a chance to try the software before it sees a public launch in the fall.
I can’t wait to try this MacOS High Sierra Beta
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
keysofanxiety Avatar
98 months ago
No, I hope this is changing „back“, software updates all belong to the same f***ing place
You don't have iOS updates in the iOS App Store. Why should macOS updates be in the Mac App Store?

These aren't apps, these are OS updates. It's like if Microsoft had their Windows Updates available in the W10 Store. That would be silly.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 26

iOS 26.4 and iOS 27 Features Revealed in New Leak

Friday December 12, 2025 10:56 am PST by
Macworld's Filipe Espósito today revealed a handful of features that Apple is allegedly planning for iOS 26.4, iOS 27, and even iOS 28. The report said the features are referenced within the code for a leaked internal build of iOS 26 that is not meant to be seen by the public. However, it appears that Espósito and/or his sources managed to gain access to it, providing us with a sneak peek...
apple beta 26 lineup

Apple Leak Confirms Work on Foldable iPhone, AirTag 2, and Dozens More Devices

Monday December 15, 2025 2:05 pm PST by
Last week, details about unreleased Apple devices and future iOS features were shared by Macworld. This week, we learned where the information came from, plus we have more findings from the leak. As it turns out, an Apple prototype device running an early build of iOS 26 was sold, and the person who bought it shared the software. The OS has a version number of 23A5234w, and the first...
Apple Logo Top Half

Early iOS 26 Software Leak Uncovers Dozens of Upcoming Apple Features

Monday December 15, 2025 3:05 pm PST by
Software from an iPhone prototype running an early build of iOS 26 leaked last week, giving us a glimpse at future Apple devices and iOS features. We recapped device codenames in our prior article, and now we have a list of some of the most notable feature flags that were found in the software code. In some cases, it's obvious what the feature flags are referring to, while some are more...
Apple Foldable Thumb

Leak Reveals Foldable iPhone Details

Monday December 15, 2025 9:09 am PST by
The first foldable iPhone will feature a series of design and hardware firsts for Apple, according to details shared by the Weibo leaker known as Digital Chat Station. According to a new post, via machine translation, Apple is developing what the leaker describes as a "wide foldable" device, a term used to refer to a horizontally oriented, book-style foldable with a large internal display....
iOS 26

Apple Releases iOS 26.2 With Alarms for Reminders, Lock Screen Changes, Enhanced Safety Alerts and More

Friday December 12, 2025 10:10 am PST by
Apple today released iOS 26.2, the second major update to the iOS 26 operating system that came out in September, iOS 26.2 comes a little over a month after iOS 26.1 launched. ‌iOS 26‌.2 is compatible with the ‌iPhone‌ 11 series and later, as well as the second-generation ‌iPhone‌ SE. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones over-the-air by going to Settings >...
iOS 26

iOS 26.3 Beta 1 Features: What's New So Far

Monday December 15, 2025 4:23 pm PST by
Apple is testing iOS 26.3, the next version of iOS 26 that will launch around January. Since iOS 26.3's testing is happening over the holidays, it is a smaller update with fewer features than we've seen in prior betas. We've rounded up what's new so far, and we'll add to our list with subsequent betas if we come across any other features. Transfer to Android Apple is making it simpler...
iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Coming Soon With These 8 New Features on Your iPhone

Thursday December 11, 2025 8:49 am PST by
Apple seeded the second iOS 26.2 Release Candidate to developers earlier this week, meaning the update will be released to the general public very soon. Apple confirmed iOS 26.2 would be released in December, but it did not provide a specific date. We expect the update to be released by early next week. iOS 26.2 includes a handful of new features and changes on the iPhone, such as a new...
airpods max 2024 colors

AirPods Max 2 Likely to Offer These 10 New Features

Monday December 15, 2025 7:41 am PST by
Apple released the AirPods Max on December 15, 2020, meaning the over-ear headphones launched five years ago today. While the AirPods Max were updated with a USB-C port and new color options last year, followed by support for lossless audio and ultra-low latency audio this year, the headphones lack some of the features that have been introduced for newer generations of the regular AirPods and the ...