Updatest is a Mac application designed to centralize and simplify the process of updating software on macOS. It serves users who manage multiple applications from various sources, providing a unified dashboard to handle updates efficiently. The app's main purpose is to eliminate the hassle of checking and updating apps individually across different platforms.

On macOS, applications come from diverse sources like the Mac App Store, Homebrew, direct developer websites using Sparkle or Electron, and GitHub Releases. This fragmentation makes it tedious to keep all software current, potentially leaving systems vulnerable or missing new features. Updatest addresses this problem by scanning and aggregating update information into one interface, ensuring users can maintain their apps with minimal effort.

Updatest automatically scans each app to find supported update sources using the app's own internal metadata. It works with local sources including Homebrew, Mac App Store, Sparkle, Electron, and GitHub. If no source is detected, users can add a manual source or optionally use the Updatest Network feature to discover versions from other Updatest users anonymously.

The app brings visual clarity to Homebrew's `--adopt` feature, allowing users to adopt existing manually installed apps into Homebrew management easily. Instead of manually searching, verifying, and installing each app one at a time in the terminal, Updatest provides a graphical interface to streamline this process, eliminating guesswork and separate commands.

Updatest offers deep insights into every application on your Mac, including download URLs for direct links where available, app details like version numbers, bundle IDs, file sizes, and developer info, as well as security and permissions information such as code signing, notarization, and permission requirements. This helps users understand their apps inside and out.

Updatest works by locally discovering apps on your Mac and checking for updates from supported sources. It compares versions locally, minimizing network usage. The optional Updatest Network allows anonymous contribution and viewing of versions from other users, enhancing update discovery without compromising privacy. The app requires App Management permission to update applications, as mandated by macOS.