# Updated Slicer binary automatic notification
**URL:** https://discourse.slicer.org/t/updated-slicer-binary-automatic-notification/766
**Category:** Feature requests
**Created:** [July 25, 2017, 8:20pm UTC](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/updated-slicer-binary-automatic-notification/766 "2017-07-25T20:20:50Z")
**Posts on this page:** 7
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@fedorov](https://discourse.slicer.org/u/fedorov)
#### Post date: [July 25, 2017, 8:20pm UTC](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/updated-slicer-binary-automatic-notification/766/1 "2017-07-25T20:20:50Z")
Please add đź‘Ť to this post if you think it would be helpful for the Slicer application to automatically query the central server for the availability of an updated binary, and automatically notify the user.
I am also using ITK-Snap, and just discovered that (similar to virtually all modern applications these days) it has this feature (although it just points to the download page and the user needs to install the update manually).
It would be great to hear other users’ thoughts on this feature.
---
### Author:  [@pieper](https://discourse.slicer.org/u/pieper)
#### Post date: [July 25, 2017, 8:39pm UTC](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/updated-slicer-binary-automatic-notification/766/2 "2017-07-25T20:39:49Z")
We have also discussed in the past that a by-product of checking for updates at startup time is that the server can log how many times the check is performed, thereby giving us an estimate of how often the program is being run. We could also track things like what extensions are installed, what OS is being used, etc.
Would anyone object if this kind of tracking was enabled by default? Should it have an opt-out option for privacy?
---
### Author:  [@lassoan](https://discourse.slicer.org/u/lassoan)
#### Post date: [July 26, 2017, 1:00am UTC](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/updated-slicer-binary-automatic-notification/766/3 "2017-07-26T01:00:08Z")
I would not object if allowing storage of update query logs was enabled by default. Google has already convinced me a long time ago that I should hand over all kinds of information in return for free stuff - this would not be different (other than that we don’t look for profit).
I don’t like those update notifications that just open my web browser, but they are very easy to implement, and certainly better than nothing.
I guess the automatic update would be only for stable releases - so we would have one more reason to make stable releases more frequently.
---
### Author:  [@muratmaga](https://discourse.slicer.org/u/muratmaga)
#### Post date: [July 26, 2017, 1:42am UTC](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/updated-slicer-binary-automatic-notification/766/4 "2017-07-26T01:42:25Z")
+1 Auto update notification, but won’t make sense for nightlies.
As a user, I don’t mind tracking by Slicer. I know the people, I trust the community. However, if you go down that road, please make it clear during the installation with a little bit of justification (to inform users that may not be part of the active community why you are doing it and what you are collecting. Funding being the primary reason).
Keep the default option as opt-in, let the user know about and decide for themselves. You really don’t want to force people or do it behind their back. It is a piece of information you are currently not collecting and any additional information you are going to get will be icing on the cake. Maybe even consider making what you are collecting publicly available…
My two cents.
M
---
### Author:  [@lassoan](https://discourse.slicer.org/u/lassoan)
#### Post date: [March 4, 2021, 2:11pm UTC](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/updated-slicer-binary-automatic-notification/766/5 "2021-03-04T14:11:29Z")
See some more discussion here:
> [@Snapshot release updates and user notification](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/snapshot-release-updates-and-user-notification/16341/5):
>
> I’m sure there are users on both ends of the spectrum of whether they think the telemetry provides helpful benefits or think it is spying. My impression is most users want Slicer to “just work” so alerting of the latest version of the application or extension with bug fixes would be appreciated. I would be fine if it is transparent what type of data is being collected and having some form of auto-check being the default enabled so they have to opt-out instead of opt-in. The option to opt-out sh…
Feature request in the issue tracker here:
>
>
> \## Is your feature request related to a problem? Please describe.
>
> We are tryi…ng to move towards releasing a new stable version quarterly. However, users may not be aware that a new Slicer core is available. Users also stop getting extension updates if they are not using the latest stable release.
>
> \## Describe the solution you'd like
>
> Implement a mechanism that checks if a new version of Slicer is available. The server that queries for new Slicer versions could also collect some statistics about which Slicer versions are used and how often.
>
> \## Additional context
>
> https://discourse.slicer.org/t/updated-slicer-binary-automatic-notification/766
> https://discourse.slicer.org/t/snapshot-release-updates-and-user-notification/16341
---
### Author:  [@lassoan](https://discourse.slicer.org/u/lassoan)
#### Post date: [September 18, 2022, 4:42am UTC](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/updated-slicer-binary-automatic-notification/766/6 "2022-09-18T04:42:37Z")
A pull request has just been submitted that implements this feature. Feedback is welcome (by commenting on the pull request).
>
>
> Now that a new Slicer Stable Releases is planned to be created in every quarter,… but extensions are only updated for the latest stable, it is important to keep moving users to the latest Slicer version.
>
> This commit adds an application update check to make users aware that a more recent Slicer Stable Release is available that the currently running Slicer.
>
> Automatic update check is enabled by default. It can be enabled/disabled in the Welcome module and in Application Settings.
> Update check can be initiated manually in the Welcome module.
>
> Application updates can be completely disabled using Slicer\_BUILD\_APPLICATIONUPDATE\_SUPPORT CMake variable, or can be temporarily disabled in Slicer.ini (ApplicationUpdates/Enabled=false).
>
> fixes #5502
>
> !\[image\](https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/307929/190885899-7fec7678-66d5-4fee-ae3d-076e624068b5.png)
>
> !\[image\](https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/307929/190886013-6cfe43d7-a671-4614-88f7-c11a6f7055da.png)
---
### Author:  [@lassoan](https://discourse.slicer.org/u/lassoan)
#### Post date: [March 21, 2023, 2:15am UTC](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/updated-slicer-binary-automatic-notification/766/7 "2023-03-21T02:15:40Z")