# App Updates > Control when new app versions reach your Macs with Applivery's Update Policy: turn on Auto-updates, set a quarantine and a grace period per update type. Source: https://docs.applivery.com/en/device-management/apple/macos/app-management/app-updates/ • Last updated: 2026-10-19 **Key topics:** Auto-updates, Quarantine period, Grace period, Update deadline, Install types, Applivery, macOS, Applivery agent --- **TL;DR:** On each app in a Policy, open Update Policy, turn on Auto-updates and set a quarantine and a grace period. New builds wait out the quarantine, stay optional during grace and are installed automatically after the deadline. Every app you assign to a macOS Policy has an **Update Policy**. It lets you decide when new versions reach your Macs and when they stop being optional. You turn on **Auto-updates**, set how long a new build waits before it's offered (**quarantine**), and how long users have to install it before it's enforced (**grace period**). ## Before you start - macOS Devices managed by Applivery. - An app assigned to a Policy. The app's **install type** (Force installed, Required for setup or Available) changes what happens when Auto-updates is off. You'll find the three types explained in [Manage Apps](https://docs.applivery.com/en/device-management/apple/app-management/manage-apps/). - Access to the [Applivery Dashboard](https://dashboard.applivery.io/) with permission to edit Policies. ## The Update Policy options

Option	Range	What it does
Auto-updates	On / Off	Turns automatic updates on for this app. Quarantine and grace only apply when it's on.
Quarantine	0–30 days	Days a new build waits after its release before it's offered. One value for major, minor and patch updates.
Grace period (major, minor, patch)	0–90 days each	Days the update stays optional once quarantine ends. You set a separate value for each update type. With 0, there's no optional window.

:::info As soon as you set any grace period, Auto-updates must be on. ::: ## Configure the Update Policy **Open the app in the Policy** Once in the [**Applivery Dashboard**](https://dashboard.applivery.io/), go to any of your **Policies** 1 or [**create a new one**](https://docs.applivery.com/en/device-management/general-settings/create-policies/). Select the Apps 2 section from the left-hand menu, and add the app or open one that's already assigned 3. ![app updates](https://docs.applivery.com/int/_r2/media/09ac0a4e-3ad8-478f-9f15-3474973eec71/22d3a0d8-f732-4469-9aad-64f784b1a884.png) **Set the Update Policy** Open **Update Policy** 4, turn on **Auto-updates,** and set the **quarantine** and the **grace period** for major, minor, and patch updates. ![automatic updates](https://docs.applivery.com/int/_r2/media/09ac0a4e-3ad8-478f-9f15-3474973eec71/4e108f25-d3b6-499d-89c1-eb4cf9db3a75.png) **Save** Save your changes. ## How the deadline is calculated Applivery calculates the deadline for each new build and sends it to the Applivery agent on the Mac: **Deadline = release date + quarantine + grace period for that update type** The grace period used depends on whether the new build is a major, minor or patch update. :::info The deadline is always counted from the build's release date. If the build reaches a Mac earlier for some reason, the deadline doesn't move. ::: ## What happens at each stage

Stage	What happens
Quarantine	The new build isn't offered. Your Macs get the newest build that has already cleared quarantine. If no build has cleared it yet, the app isn't served.
Grace period	The update is available, but installing it is optional until the deadline.
After the deadline	The Applivery agent installs the update. If the app is open, it's closed first and then updated.

:::info Quarantine doesn't hold back installs sent with an Apple MDM command, installs during Setup Assistant, assignments pinned to a specific build or [Policy Composition](https://docs.applivery.com/en/device-management/general-settings/policy-composition/). ::: ## When Auto-updates is off With Auto-updates off, there are no automatic updates after the first install. What that means depends on the install type:

Install type	Behavior
Force installed	First version only. No later automatic updates.
Required for setup	First version only. No later automatic updates.
Available	Users install updates themselves from the Self-Service app.

If you've never configured Auto-updates for an app, Applivery doesn't send any update policy and the Applivery agent keeps its default behavior. That isn't the same as turning Auto-updates off. ## Example **Patch update with Auto-updates on.** Quarantine is 3 days and the patch grace period is 7 days. A new build is released on Monday: 1. **Monday to Wednesday:** the build is in quarantine and isn't offered. 2. **Thursday:** quarantine ends and the grace period starts. Users can install the update whenever they want. 3. **The following Thursday:** the deadline passes and the Applivery agent installs the update on every Mac that's still on the previous version. **Force installed app with Auto-updates off.** New builds aren't applied automatically. Your Macs stay on the first version installed until you change the assignment or turn Auto-updates on.