by Core Essentials on WordPress.org

The "Updates" submenu showing the number of available updates
Easy Updates Menu is a lightweight plugin that enhances your WordPress admin interface by adding a convenient “Updates” submenu item under the Plugins menu. This submenu only appears when there are plugin updates available, making it easier to quickly access and manage pending updates.
We’ve all dealt with slow servers and clunky setups when running maintenance on sites. How frustrating is it to log in to the dashboard, click on ‘Installed Plugins’, then click ‘Updates’? It eats up precious time. With Easy Updates Menu, you can simply log in to the dashboard, click “Updates,” and start updating without the hassle.
The plugin automatically checks for available plugin updates and adds a submenu item when updates are found. Clicking the submenu takes you directly to the plugins update screen, streamlining your update workflow.
The submenu is only visible to users with the ‘update_plugins’ capability, maintaining proper WordPress security practices.