I Forgot `brew update` for Months — So I Built This (Free)
I went weeks without running `brew update`. Every time I finally did, I had 40+ outdated casks waiting. So I built AutoBrew — a free, open-source macOS menu bar app that handles it for me.
It also turned out to be the right place to add a real GUI for browsing Homebrew casks, and a backup feature for app preferences and state. Three things in one menu bar app.
▶ What AutoBrew does:
• Auto-runs `brew update` / `upgrade` / `cleanup` in the background — idle-triggered or scheduled, works while locked
• Full Homebrew cask GUI — search, Top-100 by install count, one-click install
• App-state backup — snapshot preferences and containers, restore later if something breaks
macOS 26+, signed and notarized by Apple. Free, MIT licensed, no IAP, no subscription.
▶ Install:
brew tap marcelrgberger/tap
brew install --cask autobrew
▶ Links:
GitHub: https://github.com/marcelrgberger/aut...
Sponsor: https://github.com/sponsors/marcelrgb...
If AutoBrew saves you time, a GitHub star or sponsorship keeps development going.
#macOS #Homebrew #MacApp #OpenSource