Updating Tend itself
Tend checks for a new version about once a day and offers to install it. Updates come from tendmac.app. Each one is signed twice: with our update key, which Tend checks before installing, and with our Apple Developer ID, notarized by Apple. Tend uses Sparkle, the open-source updater many Mac apps use.
- Check now: with Tend's window in front, choose Tend › Check for Updates… from the menu bar at the top of the screen. The same button is in Tend › Settings › About & support and in Tend's menu bar panel.
- What's new: after an update, Tend shows a short note on what changed. Find it again in Settings › About & support › What's New, and every release is listed in the changelog.
- Settings, history and Pro carry over. Updating never resets anything.
If an update won't install, download the latest version from tendmac.app and drag it into Applications, replacing the old copy. Your settings and history stay where they are.
The Updates page
Tend's Updates & Security page collects the updates waiting on your Mac in one list. Checking takes a little while, so Tend remembers the results for a few hours. Click Check now for a fresh check at any time.
| Source | What Tend shows | Installing |
|---|---|---|
| macOS and Apple software | Updates from Apple's Software Update | In System Settings: the Open Software Update button takes you there |
| App Store | Apps with updates, when the free mas tool is installed with Homebrew | One click in Tend, or in the App Store |
| Homebrew | Outdated formulae and casks, when Homebrew is installed | One click in Tend |
No App Store updates showing? Apple doesn't let other apps read App Store updates directly, so Tend uses mas, a free open-source tool. If you use Homebrew, install it with brew install mas. Without it, use Open App Store on the Updates page.
Tend installs one batch at a time. If an update fails, Tend shows what the updater reported, so you can try again or run it from Terminal.
Security checks
The same page shows whether FileVault, the firewall, Gatekeeper and System Integrity Protection are on, and which version of Apple's XProtect malware definitions you have. Tend only reads these settings; change them in System Settings › Privacy & Security or Network.