can my MacBook Air be updated?

EDR1906 Said:

"can my MacBook Air be updated?"

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Perhaps.

About Updating a Mac:

Determining which Update(s) will Install:

I. Verify Compatibility:

A. Start Here: Learn About Compatibility and how to Identify your Specific Mac Model - Apple Support

B. How to Verify:

II. Reveal your Model:

What is the Model of your Mac? To find out...

1. Go to: Apple menu
2. Click: About this Mac
3. View: Second Line-Down

then...

II. Compare the Results:

• macOS Ventura is Compatible with these Computers - Apple Support
• macOS Monterey is Compatible with these Computers - Apple Support
• macOS Big Sur 11 Hardware Requirements - Apple Support
• macOS Catalina 10.15 - Hardware Requirements - Apple Support
• macOS Mojave 10.14 - Hardware Requirements - Apple Support
• macOS High Sierra 10.13 - Hardware Requirements - Apple Support
• macOS Sierra 10.12 - Hardware Requirements - Apple Support

III. If Compatible:

• Back Up your Mac First:  Be certain you Create a Time Machine Backup of your Mac, so that way you can have something to restore your Mac from, should anything go wrong with the reconfiguration.

EDR1906 Said:

"Can my MacBook Air be periodically updated?"

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Updating Macs Periodically:

No. As of this date, this is not an option. You cannot select a timeframe (period of time) of what to check for updates. Updates can be found when they are released, or you can check for them on your own. They can be installed automatically, or manually.

So, Recommend it Comes Back:

Do your Part: Inform Apple of your feedback of this issue. Include how you’ve troubleshot this, and your results. Apple wont get back to you directly, but the more feedback they receive from its users, the more likely they will know what suits their customer prefer, and what to include in macOS versions to come.

1. Go Here: Feedback - macOS - Apple
2. Select: "Feature Request" for the "Applications/Utilities"
3. Select: "User Interface" for the "Software Firmware Update"
4. Comment: that you want this option and why. Include the URL of this thread.
5. Proceed from there as necessary

Hi EDR1906,

welcome to the Apple (user-to-user) Community

Wondering which which MacOS version is installed now,

(To check: Apple menu from the top menu bar, on the left > About this Mac)

and

which MacBook Air model (year) you are using:

How to: Identify your MacBook Air model

(NB: says: "Models introduced in 2018 or later can run the latest version of macOS. For older models, the latest compatible operating system is noted.)

and

Eg: on a Mac running Mac OS Monterey 12. or earlier

you may be able to go to System Preferences > Software update >

and just check the box for "Automatically keep my Mac up to date".

Similarly, for MacOS Ventura 13 or later

Try System Settings, click General on the left side of the window.

Then click Software Update on the right.

More info: Apple Support's article: Update macOS on Mac - Apple Support

All the best :-)