# Updates and betas

> How Canto and Tulip check for updates, where to read what changed, and how to join or leave a beta.

Applies to Canto 1.0 beta 3 and Tulip 2.0 beta 2 · Updated Oct 10, 2026 · https://lonelyduck.io/docs/general/updates

Canto and Tulip check for new versions by themselves, tell you when one is ready, and install it when you restart. Neither ever moves you to an older version.

## Which version you're on

| App   | Beta                                           | Stable                                           |
| ----- | ---------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------ |
| Canto | 1.0 beta 3, from [lonelyduck.io/canto](https://lonelyduck.io/canto) | 0.10.3, from [lonelyduck.io/download](https://lonelyduck.io/download) |
| Tulip | 2.0 beta 2, from [lonelyduck.io/tulip](https://lonelyduck.io/tulip) | 1.0, from [lonelyduck.io/download](https://lonelyduck.io/download)    |

A beta is an early version for people who want the new app now and don't mind telling us what goes wrong. Keep a backup, and expect a few rough edges.

## Canto

* **Where it checks.** Canto's releases are published on GitHub. At launch and every 6 hours, Canto asks GitHub whether there's a newer version. That's all it sends: no notes, no license.
* **Settings.** **Settings › Updates** has **Check now**, **Check automatically**, **Download updates automatically** (it waits for Check automatically) and, on a beta install, **Get beta versions**. **Canto › Check for Updates…** opens the same page and checks.
* **Turning checks off.** Turn off **Check automatically** (or **Settings › Memory & privacy › What leaves this Mac › Update checks**; it's the same switch). Canto then asks GitHub only when you press **Check now**.
* **When an update is ready**, a small notice at the bottom of the window says so, with **Restart**, and the Settings sidebar marks Updates.
* **What's new.** After an update, Canto shows what changed once. Read it again in **Settings › About › What's new** or **Help › Release Notes**.
* **Finishing the upgrade.** The first launch after an update can have one-time work to do, such as updating the database or building the search index. The status dot in the toolbar says **Finishing the upgrade** while it runs, and its panel lists each step. All of it happens on your Mac.

### Canto betas

A Canto beta is a separate download. **Once you install a beta, Canto keeps you on beta updates**, and moves you to the stable release when it's newer. A copy of Canto 0.10 never receives a beta.

To stop getting betas, turn off **Get beta versions** in **Settings › Updates**. You stay on the version you have until a newer stable release comes out.

Going from Canto 0.10 to the 1.0 beta changes your notes database. Read [Upgrading from Canto 0.10](https://lonelyduck.io/docs/canto/upgrade) first; it also explains how to go back.

## Tulip

* **Where it checks.** About every 6 hours, Tulip asks lonelyduck.io whether there's a newer version, with no install id and nothing about your library, and tells you when one is ready. It downloads an update only when you press **Download**, then **Restart to Update** installs it.
* **Settings.** **Settings › General › Updates** has **Releases** (Automatic, Stable or Beta), **Check automatically** and **Check for Updates**.
* **What's new.** After updating, What's New lists the changes. Every version's notes are on [lonelyduck.io/tulip/changelog](https://lonelyduck.io/tulip/changelog).

### Tulip betas

**Releases: Automatic** follows betas while you run a beta, and stable releases otherwise. Choose **Beta** to get betas on a stable install, or **Stable** to stop getting them. Tulip never moves to an older version.

Tulip 2 is in beta. If you use Tulip 1.0, see [Older apps](https://lonelyduck.io/docs/older-apps#tulip-10).

## If an update fails

* **Canto**: a check that fails says so in plain words in **Settings › Updates**. Press **Check now** to try again, or download the newest version from the app's page and install it over the old one. Your notes stay where they are.
* **Tulip**: Settings says "The update didn't work." Try again, or use **Open Download Page** and install the newest version over the old one.

Still stuck? Write to [support@lonelyduck.io](mailto:support@lonelyduck.io) with the app, the version you have, and what the update said.