The Aggressive Updater
Keeping software up-to-date is crucial for security. However, macOS sometimes employs an overly aggressive tactic to remind you about pending updates. If you have automatic updates turned off and a new version of macOS (or a critical Apple app) becomes available, the operating system may automatically launch the App Store application in the background and bounce its icon in the dock, or worse, force the App Store window to the front of your screen, interrupting your current workflow to demand that you install the latest software patch immediately.
Silencing the App Store
To maintain your focus and stop macOS from automatically launching the App Store to aggressively prompt you for software updates, you must restrict its background notification permissions.
Click the Apple logo in the top-left corner of the screen and select System Settings. In the left-hand navigation pane, click on General, and then in the right-hand panel, click on Software Update. Click the small “i” (information) icon next to “Automatic Updates.” Ensure that Check for updates is turned Off. This stops the OS from even knowing an update exists until you manually check. To further suppress the App Store itself, go back to the main System Settings menu, click on Notifications in the left pane, scroll down to App Store, and click it. Turn off Allow notifications. Finally, ensure Badge application icon is toggled off, so the red dot does not appear on the Dock icon, ensuring the App Store remains completely silent until you intentionally open it.