macOS: How to Disable Rapid Security Response Software Updates - MacRumors
Skip to Content

macOS: How to Disable Rapid Security Response Software Updates

by

In macOS Ventura, Apple can deliver security updates to Macs without having to update the entire operating system. Keep reading to learn how it works and how you can disable it if you prefer.

Ventura Macs Feature Yellow
In the past, some of Apple's most important point releases of macOS have been linked to critical security updates that are designed to keep you and your private data safe and secure online.

Traditionally, one problem with these updates is that when a user opts to install them, the entire operating system must be updated and restarted.

In macOS 13‌ Ventura, Rapid Security Response is an option that can let you avoid the rigmarole of all that, allowing you to get important security improvements to your devices even faster, and have them applied automatically between standard software updates.

When you update to ‌macOS Ventura‌, Apple sets your Mac to install security updates automatically, but you can turn off the feature if you prefer. Here's how to do so.

  1. Click the Apple () symbol in your Mac's menu bar and select System Settings....
  2. Click General in the sidebar.
  3. Select Software Update from the menu.
  4. Click the encircled 'i' alongside Automatic Updates.
    settings

  5. Toggle off the switch next to Install Security Responses and System files.settings

That's all you need to do. From now on, your Mac will alert you to new security responses as they become available, with the option to install them manually.

Popular Stories

M5 Vision Pro Thumb 2

Apple Has Given Up on the Vision Pro After M5 Refresh Flop

Wednesday April 29, 2026 11:31 am PDT by
Apple has all but given up on the Vision Pro after the M5 model failed to revitalize interest in the device, MacRumors has learned. Apple updated the Vision Pro with a faster M5 chip and a more comfortable band in October 2025, but there were no other hardware changes, and consumers still weren't interested. The Vision Pro has been criticized for its high price tag and its uncomfortable...
Four iPhone 18 Pro Colors Mock Feature

iPhone 18 Pro to Launch in September With These 10 New Features

Tuesday April 28, 2026 9:35 am PDT by
While the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are not launching until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. It was initially reported that the iPhone 18 Pro models would have fully under-screen Face ID, with only a front camera visible in the top-left corner of the screen. However, the latest rumors indicate that only one Face ID component will be moved under the...
iphone 17e magsafe

Apple Reportedly Questioning Whether iPhone Should Drop MagSafe

Wednesday April 29, 2026 8:26 am PDT by
A leaker claims Apple is currently embroiled in an internal debate over whether MagSafe should remain a standard iPhone feature. The Weibo leaker known as "Instant Digital" says that when MagSafe was first introduced, the mood inside Apple was reportedly aggressive about its expansion. MagSafe for the iPhone was introduced with the iPhone 12 lineup in 2020, bringing a ring of magnets to the...