How to Update MacOS: Install macOS Catalina On Your Mac

The next version of macOS – Catalina – is now available to download and install on your Mac! macOS Catalina was released to the general public on Monday 7 October 2019!

In this article we explain how to get Catalina on your Mac and what you should do before you click the install button. Updating your Mac is easy, free and not nearly as time-consuming as it used to be, but there are a few things we recommend you do first to prepare your Mac. We’ll also guide you past the potential headaches and any problems you may encounter.

If you haven’t updated to Mojave yet, read on to find out how to update to Mojave from High Sierra, Sierra, El Capitan, Yosemite, or even older version of Mac OS X below.

Note that you can get Catalina (or future macOS updates) earlier by signing up for one of Apple’s beta-testing programmes. We cover these in detail here: How to get the macOS Catalina beta.

How to get macOS Catalina on your Mac

The full and final version of macOS Catalina is now available to download as of 7 October 2019. The method for getting Catalina on your Mac will depend on the version of macOS you’re currently running.

(Wondering if you should update at all? Check our macOS Catalina review for detailed advice, and read our comparison of macOS Catalina vs Mojave to find out how it compares to the previous version.)

If you’ve got Mojave installed on your Mac the update will come via Software Update, which you can find in System Preferences. You may even see a notification that an update is available.

Open System Preferences (you can click on the Apple logo in the menu to find it).
Click on Software Update.
Your computer will check for updates, and show that an update is available for your Mac. Click on Update Now to download the installer for the new version of macOS.
While the installer is downloaded you will be able to continue to use your Mac. Once the installer has downloaded you can click to install the new version of the OS – but beware that your Mac will be out of action for a little while as the software installs.

If you’re running High Sierra or an older version you will need to do the following:

Launch the App Store on your Mac (click on the blue icon containing a white A, or search by pressing space+command and typing App Store).
Search for macOS, or you can also go directly to the Catalina download page here (or go to the macOS Mojave page if you click here, the High Sierra page is here.)
Click on Get (older versions of the App Store might have a Download button).
Fill out your Apple ID information if prompted.
The Installer will start to download, you can see how long it will take if you look at the bar under Downloading.
Once the installer file has downloaded a window will pop up on your Mac telling you and asking you to Continue… The Installer file can be found in Applications (but it will open automatically).

Luckily the download happens in the background, so you can continue to work or surf the web.

When we started downloading Catalina our Mac said it would take 10 hours, so be prepared to wait a while.

How to install macOS Catalina

Once the installer has downloaded (as described above) you are ready to install the macOS software on your Mac.

Once the installer file has downloaded you should see a window pop up on your Mac asking you to start the install process.

If you are ready to install, click on Continue (beware that it can take some time, so finish anything that can’t wait before going ahead with the installation).

Once the installer file has downloaded you should see a window pop up on your Mac asking you to start the install process.
If you are ready to install, click on Continue (beware that it can take some time, so finish anything that can’t wait before going ahead with the installation).
Follow the onscreen instructions to finish installing the software update, which should take around half an hour depending on the spec of your Mac.

How to prepare your Mac for an OS update

We normally recommend that you don’t jump right in and install new software straight away – by which we mean as soon as Apple releases it. Regardless of how stringent Apple’s test process is, there are inevitably issues with the initial downloads. And even if there are no issues often Apple’s servers get overloaded as everyone rushes to update and that can really slow the process down. So we recommend you hold your horses and do some tidying up and preparation first.

However, there are a few things worth checking before you download a new version of the Mac operating system at any time. If you run through the below first you are less likely to have problems following the update.

Here are the steps you should go through when updating your Mac to the latest version of MacOS. We address each step in more detail below.

Locate the version of Mac OS you require.
Check your Mac is supported. (Read: Can my Mac get Catalina? and Will my Mac run Mojave?).
Make sure you have sufficient space on your Mac. The installation file for Catalina is 4.9GB on the App Store (but 8.9GB via Software Update apparenty). You will need much more space than that though!
Back up your Mac.
Make sure your Mac is healthy.
Log into iCloud.
Make sure you are on a trusted network.
Update to the latest version of your current MacOS version.
Download MacOS from the Mac App Store.
Install MacOS on your Mac.

We also cover how to update your Mac with the more minor updates to the operating system that Apple issues throughout the year at the bottom of this article: If it’s just an update to the current version of the MacOS you need to install jump to this section: Install an update to macOS

If you want to know how to update your apps on your Mac, read this: How to update all your Mac apps.

Locate the version of macOS you require

The first thing you will want to do is find out exactly which version of the Mac operating system to install and make sure that there is no reason not to install it. You can read all about the latest version of MacOS, along with details of the latest point updates and any known issues, here: macOS Catalina latest news, and macOS Mojave latest news. We also have a similar guide to High Sierra.

If you choose to wait and download a version of macOS some months after the launch – or if you’re looking at updating your Mac to an older version of macOS – note that the version you will download from the Mac App Store (or using Software Update) will be an older version than the latest update. You should therefore expect to have to update the operating system again once you have installed it, but this should happen automatically.

This is because Apple will continue to release updates to the operating system throughout the year, either to address vulnerabilities and fix problems, but sometimes to add new features, such as new emoji.

Then during the months from June to September the company will issue beta versions of the next version of the operating system software. Some people will be able to test the beta out on their Macs.

Can I update my Mac?

If it’s Catalina you want to install, here’s a list of Macs that are supported: Can my Mac run Catalina?

MacBook models from early 2015 or later
MacBook Air models from mid-2012 or later
MacBook Pro models from mid-2012 or later
Mac mini models from late 2012 or later
iMac models from late 2012 or later
iMac Pro (all models)
Mac Pro models from late 2013

In the case of macOS Mojave, here is a full list of the Macs that are able to install it: system requirements for macOS Mojave

MacBook models from early 2015 or later
MacBook Air models from mid-2012 or later
MacBook Pro models from mid-2012 or later
Mac mini models from late 2012 or later
iMac models from late 2012 or later
iMac Pro (all models)
Mac Pro models from late 2013 (plus mid-2010 or mid-2012 models with certain Metal-capable graphics processor)

You may be concerned that you have some software that you need to use that may not work in the new operating system – the apps in Microsoft Office 2011 won’t work, for example!

Luckily there are a few ways you can try out Catalina or Mojave without removing an older version of OS X from your Mac, find out How to run macOS on an external hard drive or How to dual-boot two Mac Operating Systems on your Mac.

Make sure you have sufficient space

Apple suggests that you should have 20GB of free space on your Mac’s drive before you install a new version of macOS – although you may not need that much. The Yosemite installer was 5.16GB, for example, but you’ll also need to allow some room for temporary files.

If space is looking tight, we’ve got an article about freeing up space on your Mac.

Make sure your Mac is healthy

You should also make sure that your Mac is completely healthy before installing a big update to the system.

Open Disk Utility (in /Applications/Utilities), select your startup drive from the list on the left, click the First Aid tab to the right, and then click Verify. If Disk Utility finds problems, you’ll need to boot from a different volume to perform the actual repairs using the Repair Disk button.

Boot into recovery mode (by holding down Command+R at startup) and use Disk Utility from there to perform the recommended repairs.

You can also run the Apple Hardware Test (for Macs older than June 2013) or Apple Diagnostics (for Macs from June 2013 or later). Both tests check your Mac for other hardware issues, such as bad RAM.

Read more about using Disk Utility to fix a Mac.

Back up your Mac

Before you perform any big update to your Mac – and especially if you are installing a beta – you should back up your Mac and do some other housekeeping tasks which we will address below.

Luckily, Apple makes it easy to back up your Mac using Time Machine, so there is no excuse not to create a Time Machine backup before installing a new version of macOS. We have this article about how to back up your Mac using Time Machine.

Log into iCloud

iCloud is heavily integrated into many Apple apps and system services. Make sure you’re logged into iCloud before you start updating and things should go smoothly.

Make sure you’re on a trusted network

We advise that you make sure you are on a trusted network – so avoid downloading software in hotels and cafes or any public networks because you don’t know what might lurk there.

If you’re downloading and installing software we advise that you do so at home, at work, or at your place of education, not on a hotel or cafe network. You will probably find the download is much faster – and downloading at home or could mean you can plug your Mac into the network rather than rely on a wireless download speed (which could mean that the download takes a lot longer!)

To find out how to keep your Mac safe from security vulnerabilities read: How to stop your iPhone, iPad or Mac getting hacked and our Mac security tips.

Update to the latest version of all your software

Before you upgrade to the new version of MacOS, make sure you install the latest updates to the version of macOS that you’re currently running. From time to time there will be software updates to improve stability, for example, and there is always a chance that you may have a problem updating to the new version of the Mac operating system if you hadn’t pre-installed this essential update to the previous version, so do your homework first.

How you update will depend on the version of MacOS you are currently running. If you’ve got Mojave installed you will get system software updates via Software Update, which you will find in System Preferences, or by clicking on the Apple logo in the menu and clicking on Software Update.

In older versions of macOS and Mac OS X you need to click on the App Store icon in the Dock and select Updates.

For details of how to install a version update, jump to here.

You should also make sure you have updated any third party apps too. Those updates may include changes that are required for upgrading to the latest macOS and if you don’t run the updates they may not work properly once you have updated.

To update apps you’ve bought from the Mac App Store, launch the App Store app and click the Updates button in the toolbar. Then click Update All, simply providing your Apple ID and password when prompted.

For apps that you purchased elsewhere, you’ll need to manually install updates. You can check if there are updates available from the application’s menu, in Microsoft Word, for example, it’s a case of clicking on Help > Check for Updates.

Check compatibility with your third-party apps before updating the macOS. That way you will be up and running immediately, rather than being frustrated by your favourite apps and add-ons not working.

Download MacOS

When Catalina launches officially it’s likely that those who have Mojave installed will see an alert to install Catalina via Software Update.

For pre-Mojave versions of the macOS you will find the new MacOS in the Mac App Store. Just search for Catalina, or the version of macOS you require.

If you are running a very old version of Mac OS X there’s one potential spanner in the works – you need the Mac App Store. If you are still running Leopard and don’t have access to the Mac App Store you really really really need to upgrade!

The Mac App Store arrived in Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard. Luckily you can still get hold of a copy of Snow Leopard from Apple. It costs £19.99 and you can buy a copy here: Snow Leopard.

However, if your Mac is so old that you are running Leopard we can confidently say you won’t be able to update to any of the recent versions of macOS.

If you need to download your version of macOS from the Mac App Store follow these steps:

Launch the Mac App Store (see the Mac App Store icon above)
Search for MacOS
Click on macOS Mojave (or the version of Mac OS X you require)
Click on Download
Fill out your Apple ID information if prompted
The Installer will start to download, you can see how long it will take if you look at the bar under Downloading
Once the installer file has downloaded a window will pop up on your Mac telling you and asking you to Continue… The Installer file can be found in Applications (but it will open automatically)

Luckily the download happens in the background, so you can continue to work or surf the web.

Install macOS on your Mac

Now that the installer has downloaded you are ready to install the macOS software on your Mac.

Click on Continue
Follow the on-screen instructions to finish installing the software update

The process should take around half an hour depending on the spec of your Mac. You won’t be able to use your Mac while the software is installing.

Here’s what to do if your Mac freezes during the installation process.

How to install an update to MacOS Mojave or Catalina

Installing updates to macOS once you are running Mojave are a little different. Rather than opening the Mac App Store, you will need to do the following:

Open System Preferences
Click on Software Update
Click to update the software if an update is available

Alternatively, click on the Apple logo in the menu bar and choose Software Update.

How to install an update to macOS in High Sierra or earlier

If you have already installed the new version of macOS and just want to install the latest update to that software you will find it under the Mac App Store updates tab.

Open the Mac App Store
Click on Updates
Click Update beside any updates you wish to install If the software has not yet been downloaded (you can set it to do this automatically) it will download in the background
Once the software has been downloaded you will see a notification to let you know it is ready to be installed
Your Mac may notify you that it will restart before installing the update if the timing is bad you can choose to postpone the update for an hour, or until later
When you are ready to proceed, click Update again and wait while your Mac restarts and installs the update
Your Mac will shutdown and the installation will commence – beware this can take a while and there is no warning until it actually starts, a recent update was set to take 24 minutes, but panic not – it was probably closer to 10 minutes.
Once the installation has finished your Mac will restart.

For information about Apple’s terms and conditions for using macOS read: Should you agree to Apple’s terms and conditions?

Read about the new Mac Music app here.