macOS processes

What is Microsoft AutoUpdate on Mac?

Microsoft AutoUpdate (MAU) keeps Office, Teams and other Microsoft apps up to date. Its own window has the settings.

Process: Microsoft AutoUpdateProcess: Microsoft Update AssistantProcess: msupdateApplies to: Microsoft apps installed from Microsoft, not from the Mac App Store, on all current macOS versions. Seen on macOS 27.2.Checked: 29 October 2026

Where you see it

  • Microsoft AutoUpdate is in the list in Activity Monitor › Network, in nettop or in Kilobat.
  • A firewall or network monitor asks if Microsoft AutoUpdate can connect.
  • Microsoft Update Assistant downloads while Office apps are closed.

What it is

Microsoft's documentation says that MAU is responsible for keeping Microsoft 365 apps up to date. Its preference domain is com.microsoft.autoupdate2.

Apps from the Mac App Store update through the App Store instead. Microsoft says so in its update article.

Why it uses the network

  • Update checks. Microsoft documents a default check interval of 780 minutes, which is 13 hours.
  • Update downloads. In the default AutomaticDownload mode, MAU downloads and installs updates automatically.

Is it normal?

Yes, if you use Microsoft apps. Office updates can be large.

See how much it uses

  1. Open Activity Monitor from Applications > Utilities. Click Network.

  2. Type Microsoft AutoUpdate in the search field. The Sent Bytes and Rcvd Bytes columns show what it moved.

  3. In Terminal, watch only this process. Press d to show the change per second, and q to quit.

    nettop -p "Microsoft AutoU" -P

  4. nettop shows only the first 15 characters of a name. So use Microsoft AutoU, as above.

  5. Do the same for Microsoft Update Assistant.

Reduce or pause it safely

  1. Open a Microsoft app, such as Word. Choose Help > Check for Updates. The MAU window opens.

  2. Clear “Automatically keep Microsoft apps up to date” to install updates when you choose.

  3. Microsoft warns that apps then do not get updates on their own. Check for updates on your usual network.

With Kilobat

  1. Open the Kilobat app list and search for Microsoft AutoUpdate. Its row shows the live rate and the bytes it moved.

  2. In Terminal, see the same live list. Press / and type the name to search.

    kilobat status --watch

  3. Show its traffic over one day. Names match kilobat report --summary.

    kilobat bandwidth "Microsoft AutoU" day

  4. Through MCP, an AI agent gets the same history with get_app_bandwidth and the name Microsoft AutoU.

  5. With Pro and the network filter, Kilobat pauses this updater on metered networks. The app keeps working. See Stop updates from using hotspot data.

    kilobat updaters

  6. The live view is free. History in the app needs Pro. Kilobat records history only while the app runs.

Questions

Can my company control MAU?

Yes. Microsoft documents managed preferences for MAU, such as the check interval and the update channel.

Sources

Sources checked on 29 October 2026. Man pages are the ones installed with macOS; open one with man <name> in Terminal.