Deploying Apple software update deferrals using Blueprints in Jamf Pro

As part of the software testing cycle, Mac admins may choose to delay making Apple’s macOS updates generally available to their fleet while they’re testing to make sure all the software used on their organization’s Macs works correctly on new versions of macOS. To assist with this, Apple has made available deferral settings for Apple’s Software Update on macOS, where you can choose to defer the following for up to 90 days:

• Major OS upgrades: An upgrade is a major macOS release with a new name (for example, macOS Sequoia 15 to macOS Tahoe 26).
• Minor OS updates: An update is a minor release within the same macOS version, such as Tahoe 26.0 to 26.2.
• Non-OS updates: These are software updates provided by Apple that are not covered by the prior two categories.

For those who need to know when deferral periods end, Apple has them available for the current shipping OS via the link below:

https://support.apple.com/guide/deployment/about-software-updates-depc4c80847a/web (see the Software release dates section.)

One example of a deferral choice is delaying the release of a new major version of macOS. In this scenario, a Mac admin may want to delay release because mandatory security software for their environment has not yet been certified by the software vendor as being compatible with the new version of macOS. You can use Blueprints in Jamf Pro to distribute these tokens, using the Software Update Settings component in Blueprints.

Let’s take a look on how to deploy deferral settings using using the following software update configuration as an example:

• What’s deferred: Major OS upgrades
• How long: 90 days

For more details, please see below the jump.