Stop Microsoft AutoUpdate on Mac: Full Guide

Microsoft AutoUpdate (MAU) is the background service that keeps apps like Word, Excel, and Teams up to date on macOS. While automatic updates are convenient, they can consume bandwidth, trigger unexpected restarts, or conflict with managed IT policies. This guide shows you how to disable or control it—either for all users or just your account—using built-in macOS tools and Microsoft’s own preference settings.

What You’ll Need

• An administrator account on your Mac (to modify system-wide settings).
• Microsoft 365 apps installed (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, or OneNote).
• Terminal access (found in /Applications/Utilities/).

Step-by-Step

Method 1: Disable Auto Update in Microsoft AutoUpdate Preferences (User Level)

1. Open any Microsoft app, such as Word or Excel.
2. In the menu bar at the top, click Help (or the app name, e.g., “Word”) and select Check for Updates. This launches the Microsoft AutoUpdate window.
3. In the Microsoft AutoUpdate window, click the Advanced button (gear icon in the top-right corner).
4. Under “Update Channel,” you’ll see a dropdown. To stop automatic downloads, select Manual (or “Manual” if available). This prevents MAU from downloading or installing updates without your explicit action.
5. Close the window. The change applies immediately to your user account.

Method 2: Disable Auto Update via Terminal (System-Wide)

This method sets a preference that applies to all users on the Mac, which is useful for shared or managed machines.

1. Open Terminal (Finder > Utilities > Terminal).
2. Type the following command and press Enter to set the update policy to “Manual”:
   defaults write com.microsoft.autoupdate2 HowToCheck -string 'Manual'
3. To also stop automatic downloads of updates, run:
   defaults write com.microsoft.autoupdate2 DisableAutoUpdate -bool true
4. If you want to prevent the “Check for Updates” menu item from even appearing, add:
   defaults write com.microsoft.autoupdate2 SuppressUpdateCheck -bool true
5. Restart the Microsoft AutoUpdate daemon by running:
   killall Microsoft\.AutoUpdate (note the escaped space).

Method 3: Disable the LaunchDaemon (Prevents MAU from Running at All)

This is the most thorough approach—it stops the background agent from launching entirely.

1. Open Terminal.
2. Run the following command to unload the daemon (requires admin privileges):
   sudo launchctl unload /Library/LaunchDaemons/com.microsoft.autoupdate.helper.plist
3. To prevent it from reloading on reboot, rename the plist file:
   sudo mv /Library/LaunchDaemons/com.microsoft.autoupdate.helper.plist /Library/LaunchDaemons/com.microsoft.autoupdate.helper.plist.disabled
4. Also disable the user-level LaunchAgent if present:
   launchctl unload ~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.microsoft.update.agent.plist (if it exists).

Method 4: Use the Microsoft AutoUpdate App’s Built-in Toggle (if available)

In recent versions of MAU, the interface may include a simple checkbox:

1. Open Microsoft AutoUpdate from the menu bar (look for the Microsoft logo in the top-right).
2. Click Advanced.
3. Uncheck “Automatically keep my apps up to date” if present.
4. Close the window.

Common Mistakes

• Only disabling in one app: The setting is global to MAU, but if you have multiple Microsoft apps, make sure you change it in one of them—it applies to all.
• Forgetting to restart MAU: After changing defaults via Terminal, the old settings may still be in memory. The killall command is essential.
• Using the wrong domain name: The correct domain is com.microsoft.autoupdate2, not com.microsoft.autoupdate (without the “2”). Using the wrong one silently does nothing.
• Disabling the LaunchDaemon without admin rights: If you get “Operation not permitted,” you must use sudo.

Tips

• If you only want to stop automatic downloads but still be notified, set HowToCheck to Manual and leave DisableAutoUpdate as false.
• To re-enable automatic updates later, set HowToCheck back to Automatic and remove the DisableAutoUpdate key.
• For managed environments, consider using Microsoft’s official configuration profile (available via MDM) instead of local defaults—this is more reliable and survives reinstallation.
• If you uninstall all Microsoft apps, MAU will be removed automatically, but you can also manually delete the helper in /Library/PrivilegedHelperTools/ if needed.

Troubleshooting

MAU still updates after following the steps: First, verify the defaults were set correctly by running defaults read com.microsoft.autoupdate2. If the keys are missing, you may need to create them with defaults write again. Also check if a configuration profile from your organization is overriding local settings—look in System Settings > Privacy & Security > Profiles.

“Check for Updates” still shows automatic updates: Some versions of MAU cache the setting. Quit all Microsoft apps, then run killall Microsoft\ AutoUpdate and try again.

Terminal says “defaults write” failed: This usually means you don’t have write permission to the user defaults. Ensure you’re running the command as your user (not sudo) for user-level settings, or use sudo for system-wide ones.

After disabling the LaunchDaemon, Microsoft apps crash or show errors: Some apps expect the helper to be present. If that happens, re-enable it by reversing the mv command and running sudo launchctl load.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will disabling Microsoft AutoUpdate break my Office apps?

No. Your apps will continue to work normally—you just won’t receive automatic updates. You can still manually check for updates at any time.

Can I stop MAU from running in the background without disabling updates?

Yes. Use the HowToCheck setting to Manual—this prevents background downloads while keeping the manual check feature available.

Does this affect Microsoft Teams or OneDrive?

Teams has its own updater, but MAU handles most Office apps. OneDrive uses a separate update mechanism, so this guide may not stop OneDrive updates.

How do I re-enable automatic updates later?

Run defaults write com.microsoft.autoupdate2 HowToCheck -string 'Automatic' and defaults delete com.microsoft.autoupdate2 DisableAutoUpdate, then restart MAU.

Is there a way to stop MAU without using Terminal?

Yes, the first method (using the Advanced settings in the MAU window) is GUI-based and works for most users.

Will my Mac’s system updates be affected?

No. Microsoft AutoUpdate only handles Microsoft software—it does not interfere with macOS system updates.

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