Help Center

Everything you need to know about using AppSweep

AppSweep User Guide

Welcome to AppSweep, the universal app updater for macOS. This comprehensive guide will help you get the most out of AppSweep and keep all your applications up to date.

Mac App Store edition opens official update links for manual installs (no auto-downloads or auto-installs).

Quick Navigation

Introduction

AppSweep is a powerful yet easy-to-use application that helps you keep all your macOS applications up to date. Unlike the Mac App Store, which only handles apps purchased through Apple, AppSweep can detect updates from any source and open the official update link for you.

What AppSweep Does

ℹ️ Mac App Store Edition

The Mac App Store version opens official update links and App Store pages. It does not download or install updates automatically.

System Requirements

First Launch

When you first open AppSweep, you will see a welcome screen that guides you through the initial setup process. The setup is quick and only needs to be done once.

What Happens on First Launch

  1. AppSweep displays a welcome message explaining its features
  2. You are prompted to grant access to your Applications folder
  3. AppSweep performs an initial scan of all installed applications
  4. The main interface appears showing your apps and any available updates

Granting Folder Access

AppSweep needs permission to access your Applications folder to scan for installed apps and check for updates. This is a security feature of macOS called "sandboxing."

How to Grant Access

  1. Click the "Grant Access" or "Select Folder" button when prompted
  2. A file picker dialog will appear
  3. Navigate to your Applications folder (usually located at /Applications)
  4. Click "Open" or "Select" to grant access

ℹ️ About Security and Privacy

AppSweep uses macOS security-scoped bookmarks to remember your folder access. This is the secure, Apple-recommended way to access files. Your data never leaves your Mac, and AppSweep cannot access any folders you have not explicitly granted access to.

Adding Additional Folders

If you have applications installed in other locations (such as a secondary drive or a custom folder), you can add those folders as well:

  1. Open AppSweep Settings (press ⌘ + , or use the menu)
  2. Go to the "General" tab
  3. Click "Add Folder" to add additional application locations

Your First Scan

After granting folder access, AppSweep automatically scans for all installed applications. This initial scan may take a minute or two depending on how many apps you have installed.

What the Scan Does

💡 Tip

You can trigger a manual rescan at any time by clicking the refresh button in the toolbar or pressing ⌘ + R.

The sidebar on the left side of the AppSweep window provides quick access to different views of your applications.

Sidebar Categories

📦 All Apps

Shows every application that AppSweep has detected on your computer. This is the complete inventory of your installed software.

🔄 Updates Available

Lists applications that have newer versions available. The badge shows the count of pending updates.

✓ Up to Date

Applications that are running the latest available version.

❓ Unknown

Applications where AppSweep could not determine the update status (no update mechanism detected).

🚫 Ignored

Applications you have chosen to ignore. AppSweep will not check these for updates.

Grouping Options

You can change how applications are grouped in the sidebar:

App List View

The main content area displays your applications in a list or grid format. Each app entry shows key information at a glance.

Information Displayed

Sorting Options

Click the column headers or use the View menu to sort apps by:

App Details

Click on any application to view its detailed information panel. This panel provides comprehensive information about the selected app.

Details Panel Contents

Actions in Details Panel

Toolbar Actions

The toolbar at the top of the window provides quick access to common actions.

Toolbar Buttons

Checking for Updates

AppSweep checks for updates when you request a scan. You can also enable periodic checks in Settings if you want automatic reminders.

Manual Update Checks

To manually check for updates:

  1. Click the Refresh button in the toolbar, or
  2. Press ⌘ + R, or
  3. Select "Check for Updates" from the File menu

Optional Automatic Checks

If you enable automatic checks in Settings, you can choose how often AppSweep runs a background scan:

Updating Single Apps

To update an individual application:

  1. Find the app in the list (use search if needed)
  2. Click the "Open Update Link" button next to the app name, or
  3. Select the app and click "Open Update Link" in the details panel

What Happens During an Update

  1. AppSweep opens the official update link (or the App Store page for App Store apps)
  2. Download the installer from the official source
  3. Open the installer and complete the update manually
  4. If a disk image doesn’t open automatically, open it from your Downloads folder

⚠️ Important

Some updates require you to quit the application before the update can be installed. AppSweep will prompt you if this is necessary.

Batch Updates

AppSweep makes it easy to open update links for multiple apps at once.

Open Update Links for All Apps

  1. Click the "Open Update Links" button in the toolbar, or
  2. Press ⌘ + ⇧ + U

Open Update Links for Selected Apps

To open update links for selected apps:

  1. Hold ⌘ and click to select multiple apps
  2. Right-click and select "Open Update Links", or
  3. Click the "Open Update Links" button that appears

Update Sources

AppSweep detects updates from multiple sources. Understanding these sources helps you know where your updates come from.

✨ Sparkle

The most common update framework for macOS apps. Used by thousands of independent developers. Update links point directly to the developer's server.

🐙 GitHub Releases

Many open-source and developer tools release updates through GitHub. AppSweep monitors release pages for new versions.

⚛️ Electron

Cross-platform apps built with Electron (like VS Code, Slack, Discord) have their own update mechanism that AppSweep can detect.

🍎 Mac App Store

For apps purchased from the Mac App Store, AppSweep can show pending updates (though you still update through the App Store).

👥 Crowdsourced Database

Our community-maintained database provides update information for apps that do not have automatic update mechanisms.

Release Notes

Before updating, you can review what changed in the new version.

Viewing Release Notes

  1. Select an app with an available update
  2. Look at the details panel on the right
  3. Scroll down to the "Release Notes" or "What's New" section

💡 Tip

Reading release notes helps you decide whether an update is important for your workflow, or if you should skip a version that might introduce breaking changes.

General Settings

Access settings by pressing ⌘ + , or selecting "Settings" from the AppSweep menu.

General Tab Options

Update Settings

Configure how AppSweep checks for and handles updates.

Update Tab Options

Ignored Apps

Manage which apps AppSweep should ignore.

Ignore Options

Managing Ignored Apps

In the Ignored Apps settings tab, you can:

Reports and Export

AppSweep can generate reports about your installed applications.

Export App Inventory

Create a complete list of all installed applications:

  1. Go to Settings → Reports
  2. Click "Export App Inventory"
  3. Choose the export format (CSV, JSON, or PDF)
  4. Select a save location

Export Contents

The exported inventory includes:

💡 Use Case

App inventory exports are useful for IT compliance, documentation, setting up a new Mac, or just keeping track of what software you have installed.

About

The About section provides information about AppSweep and helpful links.

About Tab Contents

Security Status

AppSweep shows the security status of every application, helping you identify potential risks.

Understanding Security Indicators

✓ Verified

The app is properly code-signed by an identified developer and notarized by Apple. This is the highest level of trust.

✓ Signed

The app is code-signed by a developer but has not been notarized by Apple. Still trustworthy for most purposes.

⚠ Unsigned

The app is not code-signed. This is common for some older or open-source apps. Exercise caution.

✗ Invalid

The app's signature is invalid or has been tampered with. This could indicate a security risk.

Notarization

Notarization is Apple's process of scanning apps for malware. A notarized app has been verified by Apple as safe to run.

Keyboard Shortcuts

AppSweep supports keyboard shortcuts to help you work faster.

Shortcut Action
⌘ + R Scan for updates
⌘ + ⇧ + U Open update links
⌘ + , Open Settings
⌘ + ? Open Help
⌘ + W Close Window
⌘ + Q Quit AppSweep

ℹ️ Note

Additional keyboard shortcuts are available through the menu bar. Check the menu items for their corresponding shortcuts.

Troubleshooting

Solutions to common issues you may encounter.

AppSweep is not detecting my apps

Updates are not being found

An update link won’t open or install fails

AppSweep is using too much CPU or memory

Notifications are not appearing

I cannot grant folder access

📧 Still Need Help?

If you are experiencing an issue not covered here, please visit our Support Page or email us at mip@gmx.biz. We are happy to help!