Keeping Apps up to Date on macOS with Homebrew

On macOS, managing apps can be a bit of a hassle when you need to download them from different websites and manually check for updates. Fortunately, Homebrew, a powerful package manager for macOS, makes it easy to install and keep all your apps up to date with just a few simple commands. This will help you keep apps such as Google Chrome, Firefox, Visual Studio Code, VLC and many more up to date. This is especially useful for applications that may not have a built-in update mechanism. I install any app I can this way on macOS for easy management.

In this blog, I’ll guide you through the steps to install and manage your applications using Homebrew.

Steps to Keeping Apps up to Date on macOS Using Homebrew package manager

Homebrew is a package manager for macOS that allows you to install software using the command line, making it easier to keep your system organized and your apps up to date.

Step 1: Install Homebrew

Before we can start using Homebrew to install and manage applications, we first need to install it.

To install Homebrew, open the Terminal application on your macOS and run the following command:

/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"

This command will download and install Homebrew on your system. Follow the on-screen instructions, and once the installation is complete, Homebrew will be ready to use.

Step 2: Search for Apps

Now that Homebrew is installed, you can search for applications you’d like to install. You can either search from the command line or use the Homebrew website.

From the command line:

To search for an app, simply use the brew search command followed by the app’s name. For example, if you’re looking for Google Chrome, run:

brew search google-chrome

Homebrew will return a list of apps related to the search term.

Using the Homebrew website:

Alternatively, you can visit the Homebrew’s Formulae website and use the search bar to find available apps.

Step 3: Install Apps

Once you’ve found the app you want to install, you can easily install it using Homebrew’s brew install command. For example, to install Google Chrome, run:

brew install --cask google-chrome

Homebrew will automatically download and install the app, and it will be ready to use once the installation is complete.

Step 4: Keep Apps Up to Date

One of the biggest advantages of using Homebrew is how easy it makes keeping your apps up to date. Instead of manually checking for updates for each app, you can update all your installed apps with a single command.

To update your apps, simply run the following command:

brew upgrade

This will upgrade all outdated applications installed via Homebrew to their latest versions. It’s a simple way to ensure your apps are always up to date with minimal effort.

Step 5: Optional – Automate Updates with Crontab

To make sure your apps stay up to date without having to run the brew upgrade command manually, you can set up a cron job to run the update command automatically. For example, you could schedule it to run every Monday at 2 AM.

To do this, open your Terminal and type:

crontab -e

This will open the crontab file in your default text editor. Add the following line to schedule the brew upgrade command:

0 2 * * 1 /usr/local/bin/brew upgrade

This cron job will run the brew upgrade command every Monday at 2 AM. Be sure to save and close the crontab file, and your system will now automatically keep your apps up to date, as long as your computer is powered on at the specified time.

Remarks

• Many apps on macOS are available as “casks” in Homebrew. These are typically GUI applications, such as browsers and editors. You can install cask apps using brew install --cask <app-name>.
• If you want to check if any apps need updating before running the brew upgrade command, use brew outdated. This will list all apps that have updates available.
• If you’re having trouble, you can try running brew doctor to check your Homebrew installation for any issues.

By using Homebrew, you can streamline your app management process on macOS, ensuring that everything stays up to date with minimal effort. Enjoy the convenience of having all your apps in one place!