On October 25, Apple released a new version of the Mac operating system, macOS Monterey. A little over six months later, in June 2022, the company presented the next version, macOS Ventura, which will not officially arrive until the fall.
Thus, we are faced with a dichotomy and you will have to decide if you are one of those who prefer to play it safe and install the latest official version or if you are one more brave person who dares to download beta versions on your computer despite possible failures.
In case you belong to the second category, we advise you to take a look at our installation guide for macOS beta (macOS Ventura beta, in this case). For everyone else, you’ve come to the right place and here’s how to upgrade your Mac.
Which computers are compatible with macOS Monterey?
Here are the devices compatible with macOS Monterey, the latest version of the operating system:
- Late 2015 and newer iMac
- iMac Pro from 2017 and later
- Late 2013 and newer Mac Pro
- Late 2014 and newer Mac mini
- Early 2015 and later MacBook Pro
- Early 2015 and later MacBook Air
- MacBook from early 2016 and later
What to consider before updating macOS
As with Apple’s other operating systems, macOS Monterey is also available through the company’s App Store, in this case the Mac Apple Store. As long as your gear is compatible, it will appear as an update.
Your biggest concern may be whether some of the programs you currently manage and need to use daily will still work on the new operating system. Fortunately, there are several ways to test this with Monterey without removing the previous version of macOS.
Discover how to run macOS on an external hard drive if what you want is to make sure that Software works properly on the new operating system before upgrading your computer.
Find the version of macOS you need
The first thing to do is figure out exactly which version of Mac OS to install and make sure there’s no reason not to install it. We have guides so you can learn more about what Monterey, Big Sur and Catalina have to offer.
If you decide to wait and download the version of macOS a few months after its release, or if you plan to upgrade your Mac to an older version of macOS, keep in mind that the version you download will be a prior to the last update.
Therefore, you should expect to have to update the operating system again once you install it, but this should happen automatically. Apple continues to release updates throughout the year, patching vulnerabilities and resolving issues.
Make sure you have enough space
Apple suggests that you have at least 20 GB of free space on your Mac’s drive before installing a new version of macOS, although you might not need that much.
In general, we recommend that you always try to have 10% of the total space available on your Mac. If you don’t have enough space or your Mac is running slowly, learn how to improve your Mac’s performance before you do the clean install. .
make a backup
Another very interesting option is to make a backup of your Mac, Time Machine has always simplified this process. However, we suggest you take a look at our list of the best Software of backup for Mac this year.
Make sure you are on a reliable Wi-Fi network
We also recommend that you are on a reliable network, whether at home or at work. In addition to having good bandwidth, it is worth avoiding downloading these types of updates in hotels, cafes or places with public Wi-Fi networks.
Sometimes, if you are close to the router and your Mac allows it, you can use a wired Gigabit Ethernet connection with which the download will be much faster without saturating the connection of other users.
How to prepare your Mac for an operating system update
Briefly, here are the steps to follow when updating your Mac to the latest version of macOS:
- Find the version of macOS you need.
- Check that you Compatible sea Mac.
- Make sure you have enough space on your Mac.
- Back up your Mac.
- Make sure your Mac is healthy.
- Sign in to iCloud.
- Make sure you are on a trusted network.
- Update to the latest version of your current version of macOS.
- Download macOS only from the Mac App Store.
- Install macOS on your Mac.
How to update your Mac computer to macOS Monterey?
Next, we will guide you step by step to avoid the appearance of problems or obstacles in the update. Here’s how to update to Monterey from different editions of macOS: Big Sur, Mojave, Catalina, High Sierra, El Capitan, Yosemite, or an earlier version of macOS X.
How to Upgrade to macOS Monterey from Big Sur, Catalina, or Mojave
If Catalina, Mojave or Big Sur is installed on your Mac, the update will naturally occur through the “Software Update” option. You might even see a notification that a system update is available.
You should proceed like this:
1. Open “System Preferences” (you can click the Apple logo in the menu to find it).
2. Click on ‘Software Update’.
3. Your computer will check for updates and indicate that an update is available for your Mac. Click “Update Now” to download the installer for the new macOS version.
4. While the installer downloads, you can continue to use your Mac. Once the installer is downloaded, you can click to install the new version of the operating system.
5. If you’re ready to install, click “Continue” (note that this may take a while, so finish what you have before installing).
6. Follow the onscreen instructions to complete the update installation. Softwarewhich should take between half an hour and an hour, depending on your Mac’s specs.
How to Upgrade to macOS Monterey from High Sierra or Earlier
If you are using High Sierra or earlier, follow these steps:
1. Launch the App Store on your Mac (click the blue icon containing a white A, or search by pressing ‘Space’ + ‘Command’ and typing “App Store”).
2. Search macOS.
3. Click “Get” (older App Store versions may have a download button).
4. Fill in your Apple ID information if prompted.
5. The installer will begin to download. You can see how long it will take by looking at the bar under “Download”.
6. Once the installation file is downloaded, a window will appear on your Mac prompting you and asking you to continue. The installer file is under ‘Applications’ (although it will open automatically).
seven. Luckily, the download happens in the background, so you can continue working or browsing the web during the process.
How long will the macOS update take?
When we started downloading Big Sur, our Mac said it would take 10 hours to fully download the 11.98GB file, so be patient while installing Monterey, especially if the download is using Wi-Fi. Fi slow.
You might want to let your Mac download the OS update overnight. That’s all before you start installing, at which point you won’t even be able to use your Mac, which could take an hour.
How to update your current version of macOS on your Mac
If you want to update your Mac to the latest version of the system you currently have installed (not all models support Monterey), the method will vary depending on the version of macOS you are currently using.
How to Install a macOS Big Sur, Catalina, or Mojave Update
Installing updates for macOS once you’re running Big Sur, Catalina, or Mojave is a little different than before. Instead of opening the Mac App Store, you’ll need to do the following:
1. Open ‘System Preferences’.
2. Click on ‘Software Update’.
3. Then click the button to update Software if a new version is available.
4. You can also click on the Apple logo in the menu bar and select “Software Update”.
How to Install a macOS Update on High Sierra or Earlier
If you have already installed the new version of macOS and just want to install the latest update for it Softwareyou’ll find it in the updates tab of the Mac App Store.
1. Open the Mac App Store.
2. Click on ‘Updates’.
3. Click “Update” next to the updates you want to install.
4. If he Software has not been downloaded yet (you can set it to do so automatically), it will download in the background.
5. Once you have downloaded the Softwareyou will see a notification informing you that it is ready to be installed.
6. Your Mac may warn you that it’s going to restart before installing the update, so you can bet on the update for a while.
seven. When you’re ready to continue, click “Update again” and wait for your Mac to restart and install the update.
8. Your Mac will shut down and the installation will begin; Note that this may take a while and there is no warning until it restarts, a recent update may take up to 24 minutes, so don’t panic.
9. Once the installation is complete, your Mac will restart.
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