Xcode Installation: how to prevent automatic upgrade of Xcode

Asked 19/9, 2015 at 19:8 Answered 7/11, 2022 at 1:30

I have been using Xcode 6.4. I have downloaded 7.0 beta 6 from the developer.apple.com service, and had both versions happily cohabited for weeks. Somehow, Xcode 6.4 was replaced automagically by 7.0, probably from the App Store.

I want to prevent automatic Xcode update from happening in the future, and manually update Xcode when I want or need to. It appears that:

You will be notified when the updates are ready to be installed

and

Install app updates

are mutually exclusive, and opting for app updates voids the notification.

Where to check the Download newly available app updates but do not Download OS X updates box, if such a feature exists? Is it possible to get notified prior every installation?

Petronilapetronilla answered 19/9, 2015 at 19:8 Comment(2)

Storing stuff on your machine without explicit knowledge and agreement? Except the time when you agreed to the terms and conditions of using the App Store including the several times that iCloud asks you if you want to automatically update apps and you clicked yes. Wow... – Burgh 20/9, 2015 at 20:12

I realized the agreement part was misleading. I was not referring to the legal aspect, but to the Updates are ready to install banner. I have edited the question, thanks for pointing that out. – Petronilapetronilla 21/9, 2015 at 15:30

Under your Mac's System Preferences there should be a item called App Store where you can turn off automatic updates from App Store (which turns off all app updates, not only Xcode).

The You will be notified when the updates are ready to be installed only applies to the downloading of the data and if you check this box it will therefore download without your explicit approval. It will not install unless you check the Install app updates.

Washer answered 19/9, 2015 at 19:27 Comment(1)

Now this item in system preferences are calling "Software Update". Choose it and after choose "Advanced...". After that change the needed settings. – Knur 21/10, 2021 at 23:29

I followed answer by SwiftArchitect to uncheck just 'Install app updates from the App Store' but now you need to go to System Preferences -> Software Update -> Advanced

Sponger answered 17/9, 2020 at 16:42 Comment(2)

Agreed and this should be the latest way to disable MacOS app store update. – Stilla 21/9, 2020 at 2:4

None of the other methods are valid with the Current Version of MacOS (10.15 onwards). Thank you for the answer. – Dependable 22/10, 2020 at 7:31

Beware! Despite the message:

You will be notified when the updates are ready to be installed

in reality:

You will not be notified when the updates are ready to be installed

The notification only applies when Install app updates is not checked. If you select Install app updates, Xcode and all other apps will be silently upgraded. Thus, the answer is:

Do not select Install app updates. This is the only safe way to ensure Xcode does not get upgraded from underneath your feet. This is also the only setup you should pick in a commercial team, where every engineer should have the very same version of the development environment.

Petronilapetronilla answered 21/12, 2015 at 20:13 Comment(1)

I just had Xcode 9.2 auto-update on MacOS 10.12.6, even with settings like this (actually, I did not have "Install macOS updates" checked either). Possibly, it was triggered by "security update," so I have disabled that. – Underclothes 6/12, 2017 at 19:2

Also, I think its better to disable the following option as well in the Xcode settings.

Main answered 22/12, 2015 at 8:5 Comment(3)

Does unchecking Check for and install updates automatically apply to Xcode as well, or only to Components & Documentation? The issue I am trying to solve is not starting up Xcode one morning and discover that it is a different version from the one I just quit! – Petronilapetronilla 22/12, 2015 at 8:18

I think, its not intended to update your Xcode version. It should only update "Components & Documentation". But we don't know what exactly happening behind the screens right ? So I think its also a better option to stop updating. – Main 22/12, 2015 at 8:27

That only has to do with Components and Documentation. It has nothing to do with Xcode itself which has no in-built update feature. – Jabin 12/12, 2016 at 20:19

System Settings -> General -> Software Update -> Automatically -> and turn off install application updates from the App Store in MacOS Ventura.

Urceolate answered 7/11, 2022 at 1:30 Comment(0)

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