Upgrading on your timetable
Apple ships a major macOS release every autumn, and the first weeks always break something: a plug-in that will not load, a VPN client that loses its connection, a design tool that needs an update its vendor has not shipped yet. Left alone, some people upgrade on day one and hit those problems mid-project, while others never upgrade and fall behind on security fixes. A planned rollout avoids both.
What we do
Hold the upgrade back. Through your device management we defer the new major version on every Mac, so nobody installs it before it has been checked. Security updates for the current version keep flowing.
Test your apps. We list every app your teams depend on, check vendor support statements, and test the important ones on the new macOS ourselves. Problems get a fix, a workaround or a decision to wait. We wrote up one we found this year in Vectorworks on macOS 27.
Roll out in waves. A pilot group first, usually IT-minded people in each team, then the rest of the company in batches. Each wave gets a clear install window and a note on what changes.
Enforce the deadline. Using Apple's declarative device management, the upgrade installs automatically by a set date, with reminders beforehand so people can choose a convenient time. Our guide to declarative device management explains how that works.
Check the result. Once the deadline passes, we report which Macs are on the new version and deal with the few that are not, usually older hardware the new release no longer supports.
How it works
At release: hold and test. The upgrade is deferred across the fleet while we test your apps. The length depends on what we find, often a few weeks.
Pilot: one to two weeks. The pilot group upgrades and reports problems before anyone else is affected.
Rollout: two to four weeks. The rest of the fleet upgrades in waves, avoiding busy periods such as a launch, a deadline or month-end.
Close-out. A fleet report, and a list of any Macs that cannot run the new version, with a recommendation for each.
Why Stabilise
We specialise in Apple, so a new macOS is a routine part of our year. Our macOS 27 upgrade checklist and what broke in macOS 27 posts cover what changed this year and what to check first.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should we wait for the .1 or .2 release? Often, yes. The first point releases fix most of the early problems, and waiting a few weeks costs little if security updates for the current version keep arriving.
Can people upgrade early if they want to? Yes, if their apps have passed testing. We can open the upgrade to individuals or teams before the main rollout.
What about Macs that are too old for the new version? They keep receiving security updates for a while. We list them and plan replacements as part of your hardware refresh.
Does this work with Jamf, Mosyle, Iru and Intune? Yes. All four support deferring and enforcing macOS updates.
