{"id":199588,"date":"2026-01-21T12:37:02","date_gmt":"2026-01-21T17:37:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/midatlanticconsulting.com\/blog\/?p=199588"},"modified":"2026-01-21T12:37:02","modified_gmt":"2026-01-21T17:37:02","slug":"fix-macos-tahoe-26-update-taking-a-long-time-to-download","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/midatlanticconsulting.com\/blog\/2026\/01\/fix-macos-tahoe-26-update-taking-a-long-time-to-download\/","title":{"rendered":"Fix macOS Tahoe 26 update taking a long time to download"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Go through these quick tips if macOS Tahoe software update is taking a lot of time to download on your Mac, even though you have a fast internet connection.<\/span><\/p>\n

My Wi-Fi and Personal Hotspot speed is around 800 Mbps<\/a>, which is considered extremely good for home use. Still, when I was trying to update my MacBook to macOS Tahoe 26.2, System Settings displayed that it would take 3 hours to download the update. And even after a few minutes of waiting, the status had not changed.<\/p>\n

In contrast, I was also downloading iPadOS 26.2 on my iPad at the same time, and it took only about 5 minutes to reach the ‘preparing’ stage. And I checked that the file sizes for both iPadOS and macOS updates were in the same ballpark.<\/p>\n

I was able to fix the slow software update download on my Mac by following the first tip below. What would have taken hours was completed in a few minutes. I have also mentioned some additional tips that have helped me accelerate macOS updates in the past.<\/p>\n

Note that in this guide, I’m only talking about downloading the actual update file. The subsequent steps (that is, preparing<\/em> the update and installing<\/em> it) are not covered here.<\/p>\n

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Table of Contents<\/b> hide<\/a> <\/span> <\/div>\n
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1)<\/span> Stop and resume the download<\/span> <\/a> <\/div>\n
2)<\/span> Force Quit and reopen System Settings<\/span> <\/a> <\/div>\n
3)<\/span> Switch to the 5Ghz Wi-Fi or Hotspot<\/span> <\/a> <\/div>\n
4)<\/span> Turn off VPN<\/span> <\/a> <\/div>\n
5)<\/span> Restart your Mac<\/span> <\/a> <\/div>\n
6)<\/span> Free up some more space<\/span> <\/a> <\/div>\n
7)<\/span> Check Apple’s server status<\/span> <\/a> <\/div>\n
8)<\/span> Try after an hour or so<\/span> <\/a> <\/div>\n
9)<\/span> Delete com.apple.SoftwareUpdate.plist file<\/span> <\/a> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Stop and resume the download<\/span><\/h2>\n
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  1. Open System Settings<\/strong> and go to General<\/strong> > Software Update<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
  2. Click the X<\/strong> icon at the end of the progress bar to cancel the download.<\/li>\n
  3. Quit System Settings by pressing the Command<\/kbd> + Q<\/kbd> keys, wait for 15 seconds, and reopen it.<\/li>\n
  4. Return to the Software Update screen and click the Update<\/em> button again. Chances are, your macOS software update will resume, and this time it will not take hours to finish.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Force Quit and reopen System Settings<\/span><\/h2>\n

    If the above steps didn’t help, do this instead:<\/p>\n

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    1. Make sure the macOS update is downloading (even though it shows it will take a long time).<\/li>\n
    2. Click the Apple menu icon \uf8ff and select Force Quit<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
    3. Select System Settings<\/strong> and click Force Quit<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
    4. Wait for 15 seconds.<\/li>\n
    5. Reopen System Settings and start the software update again. The macOS Tahoe update should no longer take hours to download.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Switch to the 5Ghz Wi-Fi or Hotspot<\/span><\/h2>\n

      I have observed that my Mac software updates take disproportionately long when connected to the 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi band. So, check if your Mac is connected to the slower, 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi. And in case it is, switch to the 5 GHz channel<\/a> (if available), and software download speeds should improve drastically.<\/p>\n

      Turn off VPN<\/span><\/h2>\n

      Most free (and even some paid) VPNs can not only slow down your overall Internet speed but also throttle specific actions, such as big software downloads.<\/p>\n

      If you’re using a system-wide VPN, turn it off, and check if the time remaining for your macOS Tahoe update drops.<\/p>\n

      In case you must use a VPN for your browsing, consider switching to a browser extension-based VPN (most VPNs have browser extensions) so it doesn’t affect your entire Mac, but just that particular browser app.<\/p>\n

      Restart your Mac<\/span><\/h2>\n

      In case you have not restarted your Mac in a while, do that now, and then start the macOS software update again.<\/p>\n

      Free up some more space<\/span><\/h2>\n

      The new macOS update won’t even start downloading<\/a> if you don’t have sufficient space on your Mac. But in case you’re on the edge and are just fulfilling the minimum free space requirement, go ahead and delete some more unnecessary files to make additional space<\/a>.<\/p>\n

      Check Apple’s server status<\/span><\/h2>\n

      While not frequent, Apple servers can occasionally go down, leading to failed software update checks or slower downloads. Visit Apple’s System Status page<\/a> and check if the following are working properly. If they are, you’ll see a green dot or the word ‘Available’ next to them:<\/p>\n