Update All Apps in Windows 11 Using Winget

Updating software manually in Windows 11 can be tedious and time-consuming. This guide explains how to use the Windows Package Manager (winget), a native command-line utility, to check for outdated software and automatically update all installed applications simultaneously using a single command.

Step 1: Open the Terminal as Administrator

To ensure winget has the necessary permissions to install software system-wide, launch your command-line interface with elevated privileges:

  1. Right-click the Start button on your taskbar (or press Win + X).
  2. Select Terminal (Admin) or PowerShell (Admin).
  3. Click Yes if prompted by User Account Control (UAC).

Step 2: Check for Available Application Updates

Before updating, you can review which applications currently have newer versions available. In the terminal window, type the following command and press Enter:

winget upgrade

The tool will scan your system and display a list containing the application name, current version, available new version, and the package ID.

Step 3: Update All Applications Simultaneously

To update every application found in the list at once, run the upgrade command with the --all argument:

winget upgrade --all

winget will sequentially download and install the latest installers for every eligible application on your machine.

Optional: Automate License Agreements

Some applications require accepting source or package agreements during the update process. To bypass manual confirmation prompts and run a fully unattended update, use this expanded command:

winget upgrade --all --accept-source-agreements --accept-package-agreements

How to Exclude Specific Applications

If you need to prevent a specific program from updating automatically, you can pin its current version using the package ID from the initial list:

winget pin add --id <Package.ID>

To remove the pin later and resume updates, run:

winget pin remove --id <Package.ID>