Application updates are unglamorous and genuinely important. They close security issues, keep the application compatible with current device firmware, and keep the services it talks to working after provider-side changes. They are also a favourite disguise for malware, which is why this page treats updating as a process to be followed rather than a button to be pressed.
This guide deliberately does not quote a current version number. Release numbers change frequently, and any guide that hard-codes one is out of date within weeks. Verify the current release on the developer's own site.
Why updates matter
| Reason | What it means for you |
|---|---|
| Security fixes | Vulnerabilities in any desktop application are patched in later releases. Running an old build means running known issues |
| Device compatibility | New device models and firmware releases are supported by newer versions of the application |
| Service changes | The third-party services the application connects to change their interfaces; older builds stop working correctly |
| Signature and verification changes | Distribution and signing details are updated over time, so an old build may no longer match current published information |
| Operating-system changes | New Windows and macOS releases break assumptions in older software |
How to check which version you have
The application displays its own version in its settings or about area — the exact label varies between releases, so look for a Settings, About or Help entry in the application menu. Three other places are worth knowing:
- Windows: right-click the installed executable or its shortcut, choose Properties → Details, and read Product version and File version.
- macOS: select the application in Finder, press
Command+I, and read the version in the info panel. - Either system: compare what you find with the current release listed on the developer's official download or signature page.
A build number that looks current is not proof that the file is genuine, and an unfamiliar build number is not proof that something is wrong. The version is useful for support conversations; the checksum is what tells you whether a file is the published one.
The normal update path
Update from inside the application first
Most releases check for updates themselves and offer to install one. Prefer that path: it keeps the file handling inside software you have already installed and verified.
If the in-application update is unavailable, download the new release yourself
Go to the developer's own website by typing the domain, download the build for your operating system, and verify it before running anything.
Verify the checksum of the new file, every time
Even when you trust the update channel, compute the SHA-512 hash and compare it with the published signature page. This takes under a minute and it is the step that makes an update trustworthy rather than merely plausible.
Read the version and release notes before installing
Confirm that the release you are about to install is newer than the one you are running, and skim what it changes. A "security update" that arrives outside the application and the official site is a contradiction in terms.
Install with your security software enabled
Keep SmartScreen, Gatekeeper, Microsoft Defender, the firewall and any antivirus running throughout. An update is not a reason to relax any of them.
Confirm the version afterwards
Reopen the application's about or settings area and confirm that the version changed to the one you installed. If it did not, the update did not complete — treat it as an incomplete installation.
Update device firmware only through the application
Firmware updates are offered by the application and confirmed on the device screen. Never install a firmware file from a third-party site or an email attachment.
Verifying the source of an update
Every update repeats the checks that made the original installation safe:
| Check | What you compare |
|---|---|
| Domain | The developer's own domain, typed by hand, not a link from anywhere else |
| File name and version | The current release listed on the developer's signature page |
| Checksum | The SHA-512 value published for that exact release |
| Publisher (Windows) | The signer shown in the file's digital signature properties |
| Signing identity (macOS) | The TeamIdentifier compared with the published official Developer ID |
| Device prompts | Confirmations that appear on the hardware device, not only on screen |
The commands for the checksum and signing checks are on the download verification page.
Why update links in email and messages should be ignored
An update is one of the few events where users have been trained to click quickly. Attackers rely on that:
- Email and direct messages. A message claiming that your wallet software must be updated immediately, with a link, is a phishing attempt far more often than it is a genuine notice. Legitimate software updates do not depend on you clicking a link in a message.
- Advertisements. Paid placements for "the latest version" are a standard delivery route for modified installers. The page may be a faithful copy of the real site on a domain you did not read carefully.
- Search results. Promoted results can sit above the real site. Type the domain rather than clicking the first result.
- Browser notifications and pop-ups. A site asking you to enable notifications, then sending you "update required" alerts, is abusing a permission you granted once. Remove the site's notification permission.
- Fake "critical update" screens. A full-screen page claiming that your software is out of date, with a download button, is a browser page — not your operating system, and not the developer.
Disconnect the computer from the internet, do not enter a recovery phrase to "check" anything, remove the installed software through the normal uninstall process, scan the machine, and treat any recovery phrase that was typed into it as exposed. Then contact the developer's official support to report the domain and file. The steps are expanded in recognising fake downloads.
If an update fails
| Symptom | Likely cause | Where to look |
|---|---|---|
| The update downloads but will not install | Insufficient space, or a running instance of the application holding files open | There is not enough disk space, The installation appears frozen |
| The version number does not change after updating | The installation did not complete, or the old build is being launched from another location | The application does not launch |
| The update is blocked by security software | Reputation or heuristic detection on a new binary | Antivirus flags the installer, SmartScreen reports an unrecognised app |
| The device is not recognised after a firmware update | Connection, cable or a device that needs re-plugging | The hardware wallet is not detected |