> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.minimalmacropad.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Update MinimalPad Studio for Mac and Your Pad's Firmware

> Studio for Mac updates itself automatically, and it can install new MinimalPad firmware on your pad without any manual flashing.

There are two things that update: the app on your Mac, and the firmware on the pad. Each Studio release carries the firmware it was tested with; Studio 0.3.0 carries MinimalPad firmware **0.6.0**.

## Updating the app

Studio checks for a new version once a day and tells you when one is ready. Nothing takes over your screen — the update appears quietly, with a badge on the Dock icon.

To check yourself, choose **Check for Updates…** from the **MinimalPad Studio** menu or from the menu bar pop-out. The update shows its release notes before it installs, so you can see what changed.

The pop-out also has a **Check for updates** switch. Turn it off and Studio only looks when you ask.

<Note>
  Updates are signed, and Studio verifies that signature before installing anything.
</Note>

## Updating the pad's firmware

The sidebar footer shows the firmware your pad is running. Next to it, Studio says one of:

|                      | What it means                                                                                                    |
| -------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Update needed**    | The firmware can't run app profiles. Update to use them.                                                         |
| **Update available** | A newer firmware adds something for Mac users — Open app keys need 0.5.0, for example — but the pad works as-is. |
| Nothing              | Your pad is current.                                                                                             |

Point at the message and it tells you what to do about it.

### Install it from Studio

Studio carries the firmware it installs, so there's nothing to download. Click the update message in the sidebar footer and follow the four steps:

<Steps>
  <Step title="Save your keys to the pad">
    Studio writes anything outstanding before it restarts the pad.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Restart the pad for the update">
    The pad reboots into update mode and appears as a removable drive.

    <Note>
      Firmware old enough that it can't be asked to restart needs a hand: press the pad's reset button **twice, quickly**. Studio tells you when this applies and waits for the drive.
    </Note>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Copy the firmware onto it">
    Studio copies the file across. macOS may ask for permission to use removable volumes the first time — allow it.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Wait for the pad to come back">
    Keep the pad plugged in. It restarts on its own and reports its new version.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Warning>
  Keep the pad connected for the whole update. Unplugging it while the firmware is copying means flashing it by hand afterwards — see [Recovery](/firmware/recover).
</Warning>

### What survives an update

Your saved keys, layers, and Bluetooth pairings stay on the pad, so you don't need to pair it again. Your profiles live on your Mac, so they're unaffected too.

### Doing it by hand

If you'd rather flash the pad yourself, or Studio can't reach it, the manual route is in [Update the firmware](/firmware/update). It works the same on any computer.