Changes to the Zoom Update Process (Mac)

We have mentioned a number of times that Zoom is continually in development. Updated versions of the Zoom application happen quite frequently, and we have recommended that you and your students keep Zoom up to date to take advantage of new features as they appear and to provide consistency for all participants in your classes. We provided a tip a year ago to show you how you can check for updates and see whether your current version is the latest one. The method we recommended in that tip is still valid for Windows computers as well as for Macs that are not owned and managed by the university.

However, if your main computer is owned and managed by the university, you no longer have the option to update Zoom within the application itself. The menu item to Check for Updates has been removed, both from the zoom.us menu and from the account menu within the Zoom application window:

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To check for and install Zoom updates on a university-managed Macintosh computer, you will need to use the Self-Service application. This software is maintained by the tech folks at the university and it manages Macintosh software that you might have installed on your computer. To check for Zoom updates, you need to launch the Self Service application. You can do so either from the Applications folder or from the Launchpad.

In the Applications folder, scroll until you see the Application “Self Service.” Double-click to launch it.

If you regularly use the Launchpad, you can click on the Launchpad icon on the left or top of the dock. Once the Launchpad screen opens, begin to enter “Self Service” in the search field. The icon to launch Self Service will quickly appear. Click it to launch the application.

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Once you are in the Self Service application, you may need to log in to the application. Click the Log in icon at the bottom left of the window and enter your name and password. 

Click Notifications to call up a list of software that you have installed on your computer that can be updated.

If zoom.us is listed among the available updates, Click the Update button.

This changes to show that the application is updating. When the update is complete, the zoom.us item disappears from the available updates list. 

You now have the latest Zoom update that the university supports.

The process to remain up to date is a bit more complicated lately for users of Macintosh computers owned by the university, but we hope this tip helps you find how to take advantage of the new Zoom features as they become available.