How Omnibar updates

Last updated 8 October 2026. Describes Omnibar from version 0.3.0.

Omnibar keeps itself up to date. It checks for a new version once a day, downloads it in the background, and installs it by restarting when you are not using it. You can also install a waiting update straight away with Restart to Update. Your license decides which versions you receive: Omnibar includes one year of updates, and your purchased version stays licensed after that year. To stop automatic installs, turn off Install updates automatically in Settings, Updates, as described below.

What happens on its own

Once a day, Omnibar asks getomnibar.com for the list of versions.
If there is a newer version that your license covers, Omnibar downloads it in the background without asking.
Omnibar checks the download against a signature before anything is installed, and refuses a download that does not match.
Settings, Updates then says, for example, "Version 0.3.1 is ready. Omnibar restarts to install it when you are not using it."
Omnibar waits until all its windows are closed, the launcher panel included, no assistant answer is arriving and five minutes have passed since the last activity in Omnibar. A key press or click in an Omnibar window, or the panel opening or closing, starts the 5 minutes again. It looks for this moment every 30 seconds, and never while one of its menus is open.
Then Omnibar quits, the new version is installed, and Omnibar opens again.
The first time you open the panel on the new version, the panel's status line says "Updated to 0.3.1. What changed", and "What changed" links to the release notes. The changelog lists every version.

If you quit Omnibar before then, the update is installed when it quits.

An update replaces the app and keeps your settings, your chosen assistant, your shortcut and your data.

Install a waiting update now

While an update is waiting, Restart to Update appears in two places:

In Settings, choose Updates and click Restart to Update.
Click the Omnibar icon in the menu bar and choose Restart to Update, just above Quit Omnibar.

Omnibar quits, installs the update and opens again. Restart to Update does not appear for a version your license does not cover.

Check for updates yourself

Open Settings and choose Updates. The first line shows the version and build you have, in the form "Version 0.3.0 (build N)", where N is the build number, and the day it was built.
Click Check for Updates. You can also choose Check for Updates… from the Omnibar menu at the top of the screen while an Omnibar window is in front. It opens this pane.
The line under the button shows the result.

Message	Meaning
Checking for updates…	The check is running.
Version … is available.	A newer version was found while Install updates automatically is off. It is not downloaded by itself.
Omnibar is up to date.	You have the newest version your license covers.
Version … is downloading.	A newer version was found and is downloading.
Version … is ready. Omnibar restarts to install it when you are not using it.	The download is done. It installs when Omnibar is not in use, when you quit Omnibar, or now with Restart to Update.
Version … could not be downloaded. Try again later.	The download failed. Check again later.
Version … could not be installed. Try again later.	The install failed. Your current version is unchanged.
Could not check for updates. Try again later.	getomnibar.com could not be reached, or the check failed.

Below the messages, "Last checked:" shows when the last check ran.

Turn automatic installs off

In Settings, Updates, next to "Automatic:", the checkbox Install updates automatically is on when Omnibar is installed. Its note reads "Updates download in the background. Omnibar restarts to install them when you are not using it, and never while a window is open. Nothing is installed that your license does not cover."

Turning automatic installs off prevents automatic downloading and the restart when Omnibar is not in use. An update already downloaded can still install when you quit Omnibar, or when you choose Restart to Update, and Settings says "Choose Restart to Update to install it." When automatic installs are off and a newer version is found, the update status can show "Version … is available."

What your license covers

Omnibar ($29): every version released in the year after you buy. Settings, License shows the last day, as "Includes updates released until" followed by the date.
Renew updates ($15 a year): adds a year from the later of your current update expiry or the renewal purchase date, so renewing early loses no time. If your updates have already ended, the new year starts on the day you renew. The renewal renews automatically each year until you cancel.
Trial: every update during the 14-day trial.

The pricing page lists every plan, including the ones available soon.

A version released after your updates ended is never installed. If an older version that your license does cover is newer than yours, Omnibar installs that one. Settings, Updates then names the newer version. With example dates, it reads "Version 0.5.0 was released on 3 Mar 2028, after your updates ended on 8 Oct 2027. Renew updates for $15 a year to install it. The version you have keeps working." with a Renew Updates ($15 a year) button. After a trial ends without a purchase, the message says "Buy Omnibar to install it." and the button reads Buy Omnibar ($29).

Your purchased version stays licensed after your updates end. The changelog has the notes for each version, including the one you have.

Copies that do not update

A copy built from the source code for development does not update itself. Settings, Updates says "This copy was not built for release, so it does not update itself."

What data Omnibar sends, including the daily update check, and the privacy policy
Changelog
All docs