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I need to update Numbers, Pages and Keynote on macOS 10.15.7 but I do not have an Apple ID. Is it possible to update macOS without Apple ID? has an answer which is insufficient for me and is closed so it cannot receive any further answers.

Most important thing to remember is that a user only needs the Mac App Store to download the installer, which downloads the update to the machine.

You can also download the installer from the Web by visiting this link on Apple Support website.

If I go to that download site and type "installer" in the bar no results are found.

not found

So I am stuck.

Question: How can I download and install updates to these Apple apps in this macOS without an Apple ID? Can I download the installer? If so, from where exactly?

Note: I just want to update the three Numbers, Pages and Keynote

need to download some of these

uhoh
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1 Answers1

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The linked question bypasses the App Store, because merely owning a Mac entitles you to macOS. You can also get any of these through Software Update in the Control Panel. You'll note you can only get delta & combo updaters there, not entire installers for the whole OS - for that you need the App Store, or to boot from Recovery.

To update any app from the App Store, first you need to be signed in to the Apple ID that "purchased" it, even if that purchase was free, or it came pre-loaded on the Mac. The only exception I can think of to this might be Safari, which seems to come through the Software Update channel rather than the App Store.

Tetsujin
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  • I'm having problems understanding this but it's a deficit on my part. This is a new 2020 MacBook Air and these three apps always come preloaded on computers. I purchased this at an Apple store. At no time was an Apple ID used in this transaction. Are you saying that Apple will not provide updates to this preinstalled software without an Apple ID? (Specifically I"m trying to parse what "the Apple ID that "purchased" it, even if... it came pre-loaded on the Mac." means) – uhoh Nov 23 '20 at 07:19
  • Correct, yes. An Apple ID is used to identify the owner, of both the Mac itself & the software on it. Apple makes no provision for people who want to avoid having an Apple ID. By not having one you are essentially locking yourself out of most of the services Apple offer. – Tetsujin Nov 23 '20 at 07:22
  • I see, then how will Apple know I am the "purchaser" of the software if I bought the laptop without an Apple ID? – uhoh Nov 23 '20 at 07:23
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    Not until you create an Apple ID. The machine belongs to whoever's name is on the receipt, but that's no practical use unless you take it to a physical Apple Store. For any electronic transaction, the 'proof' of you being you is your Apple ID. – Tetsujin Nov 23 '20 at 07:24
  • I see so for the purposes of "any electronic transaction", my recently purchased laptop is currently un-owned until I create an Apple ID and some how connect the two myself? (I've managed to use Apple products for 30 years without actually using one, this is all new to me. I think I've created one or two but never used them and so have forgotten all the details) – uhoh Nov 23 '20 at 07:26
  • I don't know how you managed to avoid having one for so long. I got my first Mac 30 years ago & my first ID 20 years ago, when .mac then iTunes first started. You can continue avoiding it, but not if you want to use Apple's apps & services. In 'electronic' terms, you're correct, the Mac currently belongs to no-one. – Tetsujin Nov 23 '20 at 07:33
  • To double check, are you saying explicitly "You can not." to both "How to download and install updates to these Apple apps in this macOS without an Apple ID?" and also "Can I download the installer?" I'm kind of a stickler and before I can click accept I need to make sure that in addition to all your "What you can do is..." there's also an explicit answer to the question as written. The problem is that your answer says I need to be logged into the mac "that purchased it" and that's impossible in my case. – uhoh Nov 23 '20 at 13:00
  • The Mac has noting to do with it really. The Apple ID is everything. Your ID, your software, your Mac, all based on the ID. With that ID you could install the same app on as many Macs as you have in your possession - strictly speaking whether you 'own' the Macs or not. The ID is king. You can update the OS without an ID, but not any apps. Apple apps are not available outside the App Store at all. You cannot use the App Store without an Apple ID, so you also can't get updates. Apple have absolutely no incentive to allow you to do it any other way. – Tetsujin Nov 23 '20 at 13:10
  • Apple apps are on my computer and I got them outside the app store because I bought a computer, so "the computer has nothing to do with it" and "Apps are not available outside of the app store" are both contrary to ground truth here. I appreciate your help nonetheless, for the preinstalled Apple apps that come with macOS devices, I think that your answer is that updates are not available outside of he app store and the highly upvoted answer I've linked to is now wrong. Aren't both of those correct statements? – uhoh Nov 23 '20 at 13:35
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    Wow, we're making heavy weather of this simple issue. You bought the Mac. You own the Mac, the receipt says you do. However, as far as Apple (online) are concerned it doesn't yet belong to anyone because it is not associated with an Apple ID. Without that association you cannot buy, install or update apps from the app store. The ones that came with it are a courtesy. They will be yours as soon as you associate them with an Apple ID. Until you do, they're not yours so you can't update them. – Tetsujin Nov 23 '20 at 13:40
  • You can update the OS because that courtesy is available to anyone with a Mac in their hand. (Ignoring security considerations such as FileVault or T2 security) – Tetsujin Nov 23 '20 at 13:42
  • Okay that's a precise answer to most of my question, and now we need to establish that the highly upvoted answer about the downloader is wrong. I'll bring that up separately in meta when I get to a keyboard. Thanks for your patience! – uhoh Nov 23 '20 at 13:47
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    The other answer is not wrong…. I really thought I'd explained that already. The OS itself is treated differently to an app. – Tetsujin Nov 23 '20 at 13:56
  • Yes you're right, I had "software" firmly fixed in my head but the question only asks about macOS. – uhoh Nov 23 '20 at 14:21