What is EdgeUpdater on Mac?

Last updated: 2026-08-05

What it is

EdgeUpdater is the official update component currently used by Microsoft Edge for macOS. It is installed by Microsoft Edge and is not part of macOS itself. A legitimate copy identifies itself with the bundle ID com.microsoft.EdgeUpdater.

Depending on how Edge was installed, the executable may appear under a per-user path such as ~/Library/Application Support/Microsoft/EdgeUpdater/<version>/EdgeUpdater.app/Contents/MacOS/EdgeUpdater. It can also appear inside the Microsoft Edge application bundle at /Applications/Microsoft Edge.app/Contents/Frameworks/Microsoft Edge Framework.framework/Versions/<Edge version>/Helpers/EdgeUpdater.app/Contents/MacOS/EdgeUpdater.

Its job is to check for updates to the different Edge release channels and to EdgeUpdater itself. When a version is available, EdgeUpdater can download and stage it. Some browser updates are not fully applied until Microsoft Edge is restarted.

Microsoft says that, starting with Edge 140, Microsoft AutoUpdate no longer provides Edge updates. Current versions use EdgeUpdater instead. That distinction matters when older articles or troubleshooting instructions still describe Microsoft AutoUpdate as the component responsible for keeping Edge current.

Why it talks to the network

EdgeUpdater connects to the network for scheduled background checks and for checks started by the user. A manual check begins when you open Help and feedback > About Microsoft Edge, which is also available at edge://settings/help.

Microsoft lists msedge.api.cdp.microsoft.com as an update-check endpoint. This service supplies update metadata rather than necessarily carrying the entire browser package. If it finds an available version, the update service specifies a Microsoft download or CDN address. Those download hosts commonly fall under *.dl.delivery.mp.microsoft.com.

The exact hostname can vary with region, Edge version, and distribution configuration. Seeing another Microsoft host therefore does not by itself prove that a connection is unrelated, but the process name alone is also not enough to establish what any individual connection contains.

One locally inspected installation had a com.microsoft.EdgeUpdater.wake LaunchAgent that invoked --wake-all with a 3,600-second start interval. That is an observation from one installation, not a schedule guaranteed by Microsoft for every Mac. The effective timing can differ across versions, installation scopes, and managed configurations.

How much traffic is normal

When no update is available, normal EdgeUpdater traffic is usually intermittent and small. It resembles a software-catalog lookup: the updater contacts the metadata service, determines whether anything newer is available, and then becomes quiet again. There may be no EdgeUpdater traffic at all between checks.

The pattern changes when an update is found. Downloading a browser or updater package can create a short-lived burst that is clearly larger than an ordinary API request. It should look more like a software-package download than continuous streaming traffic. Once the download and staging activity ends, that elevated transfer should not continue as a permanent stream merely because EdgeUpdater remains installed.

There is no trustworthy, generally applicable byte range for EdgeUpdater on macOS in the available Microsoft documentation. Package size can vary, and the specific download size remains unverified. A fixed claim such as “EdgeUpdater always uses a certain number of megabytes” would therefore be misleading. The useful distinction is between occasional small metadata checks and a temporary package-sized transfer when an update is actually available.

Can you turn it off

macOS provides a background-item control for EdgeUpdater. On current versions of macOS, open Apple menu > System Settings > General > Login Items & Extensions > App Background Activity > EdgeUpdater. Older macOS versions may label the area Allow in the Background, and the item may be grouped under the developer name Microsoft Corporation instead of appearing exactly as expected.

Turning that item off prevents EdgeUpdater from normally performing its scheduled checks and downloads while Microsoft Edge is not open. As a result, security and stability fixes for Edge—and for EdgeUpdater itself—may arrive later. Re-enabling the background item restores the updater’s opportunity to run again.

Whether manual updating continues to work after the background item is disabled cannot be guaranteed universally. The result depends on the installed Edge version, whether the installation is per-user or system-wide, and any management policies applied to the Mac.

Temporary throttling or keeping update downloads from competing with busy periods is a more limited intervention than permanently blocking the updater. It still has a tradeoff: if EdgeUpdater cannot complete its checks or downloads for an extended period, update delivery can be delayed.

What people get wrong

• “EdgeUpdater is an Apple or macOS update process.” It is not. Microsoft Edge installs it, and the legitimate bundle ID is com.microsoft.EdgeUpdater.

• “If EdgeUpdater is online, Edge must be uploading browsing history or telemetry.” That conclusion does not follow. EdgeUpdater’s verified responsibilities are checking for and downloading updates. At the same time, its name alone cannot reveal the exact contents of every connection.

• “EdgeUpdater should stop as soon as I quit Edge.” Scheduled background checks are part of its intended design. The browser does not need to remain open for the updater to perform that role.

• “Permanently blocking EdgeUpdater has no downside.” Microsoft warns that disabling its periodic network activity also prevents EdgeUpdater from receiving its own security and stability updates. Edge browser fixes may be delayed as well.

• “Disabling EdgeUpdater stops all background traffic from Microsoft Edge.” EdgeUpdater does not control the browser’s web requests, synchronization, extensions, or other online features. Its background control is not a master network switch for Edge.

• “Microsoft AutoUpdate still handles current Edge updates.” That is outdated for current releases. Microsoft says Edge 140 and later use EdgeUpdater instead of Microsoft AutoUpdate for Edge updates.

• “Any process named EdgeUpdater is safe.” A malicious program can copy a familiar name. Confirm the bundle ID, executable path, and code signature rather than relying on the displayed process name alone.

Seeing what it actually used

To answer the question for your own Mac, check EdgeUpdater in Bytetally’s per-process statistics and compare a quiet period with the time around an update check. An isolated small transfer is consistent with a metadata lookup, while a brief larger burst may correspond to an update download. Because Microsoft provides no universal byte range, your recorded process history is more useful than a fixed threshold.

Related processes

Common questions