--- title: "GoogleUpdater: what it is, why it downloads so much, and whether to block it · Kilobat" url: "https://kilobat.app/processes/googleupdater" description: "GoogleUpdater updates Chrome and other Google apps in the background on a Mac. How often it checks, why it downloads, and what breaks if you block it." --- Apps and helpers # What is GoogleUpdater? GoogleUpdater updates Chrome and other Google apps in the background. Older installs use the Keystone agent, `GoogleSoftwareUpdateAgent`. Both are from Google, not part of macOS. Process: `GoogleUpdater` · Also seen as: `GoogleSoftwareUpdateAgent`, `Keystone` · Made by Google · Applies to: Google Chrome and other Google apps on macOS 14 Sonoma and later. Checked on 1 November 2026 against Google's documentation. · Checked: 1 November 2026 ## Short answer Google's updater for Chrome and other Google apps on the Mac. It checks for updates about every few hours and downloads new versions. Block with care Blocking it stops Chrome and other Google app updates, including security fixes. On a hotspot, pause it and update later instead. Path `~/Library/Application Support/Google/GoogleUpdater` `/Library/Application Support/Google/GoogleUpdater` Signing identifier `com.google.GoogleUpdater` ## What it is Google's help says that Chrome installs updates in the background. The Chromium updater documentation describes the updater app and its install folders. A per-user install is in `~/Library/Application Support/Google/GoogleUpdater`. A system install is in `/Library/Application Support/Google/GoogleUpdater`. The Chromium functional spec says that the updater runs periodic tasks every hour. It checks for updates only if 4.5 hours have passed since the last check, unless policy changes it. Google's Chrome Enterprise help says that devices get Chrome updates from `dl.google.com` and `www.google.com/dl`. ## Why it uses the network - **Update checks.** It asks Google's servers for new versions of the apps that it manages. - **Update downloads.** It downloads new versions of Chrome and other Google apps. ## How much is normal Small checks every few hours are usual when you have Google apps. Chrome updates are large downloads, a few times a month. The Chromium manual says that the updater removes itself when no app needs it any more. ## When it uses a lot, and why - **A new Chrome version.** Each new version downloads in the background. Several Google apps can update around the same time. - **Many Google apps.** One updater serves all the Google apps on the Mac, so their updates arrive through the same process. - **A server that asks to retry.** The Chromium spec says that the client waits when the server asks, for up to 24 hours, before checking again. ## Is it safe to block? Block with care Blocking it stops Chrome and other Google app updates, including security fixes. On a hotspot, pause it and update later instead. What breaks if you block it - Chrome and other Google apps stop updating, and security fixes don't arrive. - Chrome's About page can't update the browser. Blocking means a firewall rule that refuses its connections. Don’t quit or disable a macOS process to save data: macOS starts it again, and other features depend on it. ## Reduce its use 1. Keep Chrome up to date. Updates fix security problems. 2. To update now, on your usual network, open Chrome. Choose Chrome › About Google Chrome, then click Relaunch. 3. If you remove all Google apps, the updater removes itself after some hours. The Chromium manual describes this. ## See how much it uses 1. Open Activity Monitor from Applications › Utilities. Click Network. 2. Type `GoogleUpdater` in the search field. The Sent Bytes and Rcvd Bytes columns show what it moved since it started. 3. In Terminal, watch only this process. Press d to show the change per second, and q to quit. ``` nettop -p 'GoogleUpdater' -P ``` ## With Kilobat 1. With Pro and the network filter, Kilobat pauses this updater on metered networks. Chrome keeps working. See [Stop updates from using hotspot data](https://kilobat.app/guides/recipes/stop-updates-on-hotspot). ``` kilobat updaters ``` 2. Ask the same question in Terminal. ``` kilobat explain GoogleUpdater ``` The live view and the explanations are free. History in the app needs Kilobat Pro. Blocking needs Pro and the network filter: see the [network filter](https://kilobat.app/docs/blocking#filtering), [Protection](https://kilobat.app/docs/blocking#protection) and the [hotspot data saver](https://kilobat.app/save-hotspot-data). ## Hosts it contacts Apple and the maker document these hosts for this feature. A process can also contact others; Kilobat’s Connections tab shows what it actually opens on your Mac. - [dl.google.com](https://kilobat.app/hosts/dl-google-com): Google's download host, where Chrome gets its updates. ## Questions **Can I stop GoogleUpdater on a hotspot only?** macOS has no setting for this. Kilobat Pro with the network filter pauses it on metered networks. Chrome keeps working. **Why is GoogleUpdater still here after I removed Chrome?** The Chromium manual says that it removes itself some hours after no app needs it. **Is GoogleSoftwareUpdateAgent the same thing?** It is Google's older updater, Keystone. Google's Mac help still documents its `com.google.Keystone` settings. ## Sources - [Google Chrome Help: Update Google Chrome](https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/95414) - [Chromium Docs: Chromium Updater user manual](https://chromium.googlesource.com/chromium/src/+/main/docs/updater/user_manual.md) - [Chromium Docs: Chromium Updater functional specification](https://chromium.googlesource.com/chromium/src/+/main/docs/updater/functional_spec.md) - [Chrome Enterprise Help: Manage Chrome updates (Mac)](https://support.google.com/chrome/a/answer/7591084) - [Kilobat docs: Pausing updaters on metered networks](https://kilobat.app/docs/usage#updaters) Checked on 1 November 2026. ## Related - [Google Chrome Helper](https://kilobat.app/processes/chrome-helper): Part of Google Chrome. Chrome runs its tabs, extensions and network service in helper processes, so your browsing shows under Google Chrome Helper. - [Microsoft AutoUpdate](https://kilobat.app/processes/microsoft-autoupdate): Microsoft's updater for Office, Teams and other Microsoft apps on the Mac. It checks for updates and, by default, downloads and installs them. - [Autoupdate](https://kilobat.app/processes/sparkle-autoupdate): Part of Sparkle, an open-source update framework that many Mac apps include. It installs an update after the app downloads it. - [Stop updates from using hotspot data](https://kilobat.app/guides/recipes/stop-updates-on-hotspot)