macOS Catalina was the newest operating organisation by Apple until macOS Big Sur succeeded it in 2020. If your Mac still runs Mojave or an even older macOS version, you'll exist amazed by all the new features and improvements in Catalina. Then hither'southward how to upgrade to macOS Catalina.

Get-go, clear out the junk

When you do a regular upgrade, the installer replaces some files on your Mac with others, but leaves most untouched. That ways that all the organisation junk your Mac has accumulated over the years stays there. And as you upgrade twelvemonth after twelvemonth, you lot accrue more and more than. Every bit yous tin can imagine, upgrading your operating organisation on a junk-filled Mac is rather similar putting i layer of wallpaper on meridian of another — somewhen you accept to scrape information technology off and start again.

Also, it'southward always a adept idea to articulate out the clutter before yous upgrade. My recommendation, after years of experience upgrading Macs, is that yous employ CleanMyMac X. It'southward very quick and like shooting fish in a barrel to use and will get rid of clutter, making your Mac run more smoothly and freeing up tens of gigabytes of disk space. You can either let it decide what to remove or get through its scan results yourself and decide what to trash and what to keep.

CleanMyMac X - System junk scan complete

Then, backup your Mac

Every bit you volition run into below, there are a couple of unlike means you can upgrade to Catalina, but before you decide, and certainly before you lot upgrade, yous should make a full backup of your current Mac setup. Upgrading one OS on meridian of another carries very few risks, but they are non non-existent then exist safe at present rather than distressing later. If you utilise Time Motorcar you tin make a backup with that. Merely the best idea is to make a complete bootable clone of your electric current startup disk on an external drive.

To clean install or not to make clean install

Remember I said y'all had a couple of options for upgrading? Here they are:

  1. Regular install
  2. Clean install

A regular install places Catalina files on your startup disk over the pinnacle of whatever Os y'all're currently running. It doesn't overwrite anything else. So all your applications, documents, settings, photos, movies, and music stay where they are. Unfortunately, all the junk files your Mac has accumulated also remain there. This option is quicker in the short-term, but your Mac won't run as smoothly in the long-term. If yous choose this option, I'd definitely recommend you utilize CleanMyMac Ten to articulate out the clutter, earlier yous upgrade.

A clean install erases your startup deejay completely and then installs macOS Catalina on a completely clean disk. It takes longer, but in the long run your Mac volition run more quickly and more than smoothly. You will have to clone your startup disk earlier yous starting time, and then spend time reinstalling applications and setting them up after, nonetheless.

How to do a regular install of macOS Catalina

  1. Check that your Mac can run Catalina. Here'south the list of compatible Macs:

MacBook 2015 and subsequently

MacBook Air 2012 and afterward

MacBook Pro 2012 and subsequently

IMac 2012 and later

IMac Pro 2017 and later

Mac Pro 2013 and later

2. Make sure you're connected to the net and have a reliable connection. If you're using a MacBook, MacBook Air, or MacBook Pro, plug information technology into mains power.

iii. Launch the App Shop app on your Mac and search for 'macOS Catalina.'

4. When you find it, click 'Become.'

5. Wait for Catalina to download and when it's ready to install, click Continue. Type in your admin username and password, if necessary.

6. Wait for Catalina to install. Your Mac volition restart several times and it may take a while, so exist patient! If you are using a laptop, don't close the lid.

7. One time it has finished installing, you tin can go on to employ your Mac as normal.

    How to clean install macOS Catalina

    We have covered make clean installing Catalina in more detail in this article How to Clean Install macOS Catalina just here's a summary.

    1. Make a full bootable clone of your Mac, just in case the worst happens.
    2. Grab a USB stick that'south at to the lowest degree 16GB capacity, or an external hard drive or USB stick.
    3. Erase and re-format the USB stick or external disk.
    4. Create a bootable installer on the disk.
    5. Boot from the new install disk and use Deejay Utility in macOS Utilities to erase your startup disk.
    6. Go back to macOS Utilities and choose install macOS, with your startup deejay equally the location for the install.

    Once it's finished, set your Mac, reinstall applications and restore your settings.

    My apps are slow or stopped working on macOS Catalina

    Okay, you've successfully installed macOS 10.15 Catalina. Just some of your apps are no longer bachelor. That's a heavy accident from macOS Catalina as it no longer supports 32-bit apps. According to Apple, 64-scrap apps are more memory-efficient than 32-bit ones. Merely for most of us it means we will lose many favorite games and applications, including Photoshop CS. To minimize the damage, you should first bank check how many 32-bit apps you accept. It's possible to exercise with the same Mac maintenance app we've mentioned above.

    • Run CleanMyMac X — you lot tin download a free edition here.
    • Click the Uninstaller tab.
    • At present, by clicking on the 32-bit tab, y'all volition see the listing of 32-scrap apps on your Mac.

    Side by side up, click the Updater tab.

    Here yous tin update your 32-apps (and all the residuum of apps) to newer versions. Many developers have already optimized their software for 64-bit architecture. With this method yous'll update all your software in one-get to make it Catalina-friendly. As you can see, I tin can update 17 apps with just i button.

    Scan complete and some list of apps shown in Updater module of CMMX

    Thanks for reading this article. Promise you will similar information technology on Catalina!