If you’re frustrated when Minecraft won’t update on the Mac, we’ve got some potential solutions you can try to troubleshoot the issue.
What Causes Minecraft to Fail to Update on Mac?
If you can’t update Minecraft on Mac, this can be for a number of reasons with some being easier to fix than others. Here’s a quick overview of why Minecraft might not be updating.
- The Minecraft servers are down. Sometimes, Minecraft’s servers can be down, so it’s a good idea to check if the issue is on your end or theirs first before doing anything else.
- A VPN or firewall is blocking access to Minecraft. If your VPN or firewall is set up to block a lot of activity, you may find it impossible to update Minecraft while it’s active.
- Your Mac isn’t compatible with Minecraft. Got an aging Mac? A recent update may mean you can no longer play Minecraft on that Mac.
- Your Minecraft install is corrupt. Sometimes, the Minecraft files can fail so you’ll need to uninstall and reinstall it or opt to run Minecraft via your browser.
Note: When Minecraft won’t update, you won’t lose any files or progress as Minecraft data is stored on the cloud. You simply won’t be able to access it.
How to Fix the Minecraft Update Error on Mac
Follow the steps below to fix the Minecraft update error you may be seeing when trying to update it on Mac. Not all of these may apply to your situation but follow them in order and skip any that aren’t relevant.
1. Check your Mac is online. Check you’re currently online and have a strong internet connection. If you aren’t online, you can’t update Minecraft.
2. Restart your Mac. It’s a simple solution but restarting your Mac often fixes many issues and that can include problems updating Minecraft.
3. Launch Minecraft from your browser. If you keep seeing an “upgrade failed” message, try playing Minecraft via your web browser instead of using the app. By doing so, the latest version of Minecraft player will be installed so you can continue playing.
4. Try using a different web browser. If you also can’t get Minecraft to launch from your browser, try using a different one. Minecraft recommends using Google Chrome or Firefox rather than Safari.
5. Uninstall and reinstall Minecraft. Uninstall the Minecraft app from your Mac and try reinstalling it. This can fix issues with corrupt files.
Note: Make sure to download Minecraft from a reputable source.
6. Update your Mac. Sometimes updating your Mac can fix many common issues, including running Minecraft successfully.
7. Disable your VPN or firewall. If you use either a VPN or a firewall, the update may fail due to network issues. Disable them temporarily to update Minecraft.
8. Reset Minecraft settings. If you’re willing to delve into some settings on your Mac, navigate to Library > Preferences then delete everything in the Minecraft folder.
Note: To access the Library folder, with either the desktop or a Finder window as the frontmost application, hold down the Option key and select the Go menu. The Library folder appears as one of the items in the Go menu.
9. Download Minecraft to a USB flash drive on another Mac. If you’ve tried removing all traces of Minecraft on your current Mac, try downloading a new version of it via a different Mac. It requires you to have another Mac available (or from a friend), but it may fix the issue.
10. Contact Minecraft support. If you’ve tried all these steps and Minecraft still won’t work, contact Minecraft customer support with your Minecraft username, any error messages you’ve received, the model name of your Mac, and which version of macOS your Mac is running.
FAQs
If you decide you don’t want to use Minecraft anymore, you can permanently delete it from your system. First, make sure you’ve quit and completely closed down the Minecraft application. Locate the Minecraft application icon in your Mac’s Applications folder, then drag and drop Minecraft into the Trash and Empty it. Note that this removes Minecraft from your system, but does not get rid of your Minecraft account.
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Costa Rozakis is a seasoned gaming troubleshooter and writer with over a decade of experience. Costa’s journey began with a love for gaming that naturally evolved into a mission to help fellow gamers overcome technical challenges and glitches.
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