Useful macOS defaults: App Store

2019-02-18 17:00

com.apple.appstore controls how the Mac App Store behaves.

After changing these, quit and reopen the App Store.

Turn on automatic update checks

defaults write com.apple.appstore AutoUpdate -bool true

Turn on automatic app downloads

When you buy an app on another device, download it on this Mac too:

defaults write com.apple.appstore AutoDownload -bool true

defaults write com.apple.appstore ShowDebugMenu -bool true

This adds a Debug menu with options for resetting the App Store cache, showing download folders, and other troubleshooting tools.

Turn on video autoplay

Let app preview videos play on their own when you browse the store:

defaults write com.apple.appstore AutoPlayVideoSetting -string "on"

To stop them:

defaults write com.apple.appstore AutoPlayVideoSetting -string "off"

Check for updates in the background

defaults write com.apple.appstore BackgroundCheckInterval -int 86400

The value is in seconds. 86400 is once a day. The default is roughly weekly.

Read all current App Store settings

defaults read com.apple.appstore

Notes

App Store update behaviour also depends on the Software Update settings. For automatic macOS and security updates, see the com.apple.SoftwareUpdate domain.

Enjoyed this post?

Well, you could share the post with others, follow me with RSS Feeds and/or send me a comment via email.