Some Macs Auto-Updating to macOS Sonoma Without User Permission

Over the past few weeks, some Mac users have complained that their computer automatically upgraded itself from macOS Ventura to the latest macOS Sonoma release, even with the automatic updates setting turned off.

There are widespread complaints about this issue across the Apple Support Community, MacRumors Forums, Reddit, X, and other websites.

In most cases, it appears that affected users received a desktop notification alerting them that macOS Sonoma was an available software update. However, despite dismissing the notification and having automatic updates turned off, affected users said their Mac proceeded to install macOS Sonoma regardless. Apple began showing the notification to users on January 10, according to MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris.

The underlying cause of the issue is unclear, and an Apple spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

It is possible to downgrade a Mac to an older macOS version if you created a Time Machine backup for that version, or by using a bootable installer. Always make sure to back up your data before downgrading a Mac.

To review your Mac’s update settings, open the System Settings app, click General → Software Update, and click the info symbol next to Automatic Updates.

We will update this report if new information becomes available.Related Roundup: macOS SonomaRelated Forums: macOS Ventura, macOS Sonoma
This article, “Some Macs Auto-Updating to macOS Sonoma Without User Permission” first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Related posts

Latest posts

Computer engineer has a new idea to recover his $765M of buried Bitcoin

Twelve years on and he's still looking for ways to recover his lost Bitcoin.

I can’t wait for the OLED MacBook Pro — but there’s bad news for MacBook Air fans

Want a MacBook with an OLED screen? A new report suggests there’s good news and bad news depending on whether you want a MacBook Pro or a MacBook Air.

The Motorola Razr Plus (2025) just leaked, and it’s far from exciting

Design of the Motorola's next flagship flip phone, the Motorola Razr Plus (2025), just leaked, and it reveals unexciting upgrades over the last 2024 model.

I’ve waited patiently for a MacBook revival. Dell already made one

I remember when Apple put the . That devious smile by CEO Tim Cook, appearing in his first action-filled ad spot and dropping a tech bombshell on a grossly unprepared audience. Oof! Tablet computing would never be the same again, I thought. Merely a week later, I spent a fortune on the iPad Pro and […]

The Lemokey L5 HE 8K pairs Hall Effect keys with ultra-fast polling rates

Lemokey's latest 75% gaming keyboard comes with Hall Effect switches and an 8,000Hz polling rate

This is why I love Circle to Search on the Galaxy S25 series

Since the was launched last year, phone makers have focused heavily on adding AI to every facet of their smartphones. Apple launched last year — which brought a different, more personal, approach to AI with the iPhone 16 — a few months after Google unveiled . Despite Google waiting to launch the full suite of […]

Lenovo is offering a 55% discount on this ThinkPad 2-in-1 laptop

The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 Gen 9 laptop is versatile and powerful, and it's available with a 55% discount from Lenovo that translates to $1,743 in savings.

Intel Nova Lake: Everything we know so far

Intel Nova Lake CPUs are under development and coming in 2026: Here's what we know about them so far.

Samsung Galaxy S25 AI keyboard offers smart replies for WhatsApp & more

A new AI feature on the Samsung Galaxy S25 series has been uncovered.

The latest iOS update might have reactivated Apple Intelligence features

Some Apple users are reporting the most recent updates re-enabled Apple Intelligence features that had once been turned off.