I have a 24-inch iMac (2023) with an M3 chip running macOS Tahoe 26.6. Until recently, Software Update always worked as expected, completing its search and telling me my Mac was up to date. Now it keeps showing “Checking for updates…” without giving me a result. After about 30 minutes, a Safari 27 update appeared.
I'm concerned because this is a change from what has always been reliable behaviour. My first thought is that the Mac may be having trouble connecting to Apple's update servers, but I don't want to assume that's the cause without checking.
The Safari update is interesting, but it doesn't explain why the macOS update search is still not completing. The problem could involve Apple's services, my internet connection, or Software Update itself.
I'd start by checking Apple's System Status page and confirming that my internet connection is working normally. I'd then restart the iMac and try again. If the search still hangs, I'd follow Apple's macOS update troubleshooting guidance.
Apple's security release history can confirm which macOS versions have been released, although that doesn't guarantee which update should be available for my particular iMac.
For now, I'd avoid Terminal commands or attempts to force an update search. I'd rather understand why Software Update has stopped behaving as expected before making changes to the system.
User level: Level 1 (4 points)
