There are a few reasons why you might want to download and install old versions of macOS or Mac Os X. Maybe y'all are relying on software you have discovered doesn't work properly in the latest version. Or maybe you just don't like the new version of macOS that you have installed.

Another scenario is that y'all are a developer and you demand to be running multiple versions of macOS and Mac OS Ten and so that you can be sure that your software runs correctly on them. Either way, you take questions and we have answers.

In this article we volition cover how to become old versions of macOS including Big Sur, Catalina, Mojave, El Capitan, Sierra, Yosemite and fifty-fifty one-time versions of Mac OS X. We explain how to get hold of the relevant installer files and then that you lot can install the software on your Mac.

We have a separate article that explains how to install onetime versions of macOS for when you become to that stage of the process.

If you are looking for a way to revert to the previous version of macOS, nosotros have a more specific article nearly downgrading from Monterey to Big Sur and other versions, although we do cover the method here too. We as well take a guide to downgrading from the macOS beta.

Notwithstanding, if you were hoping to run older versions of macOS on M1 Macs that'southward not possible.

You lot as well might desire to get the installer for a version of macOS in lodge to make a bootable installer for installing macOS on multiple Macs (we besides wait at that scenario separately).

Where can I download old macOS?

Earlier yous tin can install an older version of macOS or Mac Os X you will need to get hold of the installer for the version of macOS y'all want to install. Luckily it is possible to gets agree of these files - as long as you know where to go on the Mac App Store.

We have the necessary links to the Mac App Store below. Nosotros will bear witness you a way to get the following macOS installers:

  • macOS Big Sur
  • macOS Catalina
  • macOS Mojave
  • macOS Loftier Sierra
  • macOS Sierra
  • OS X El Capitan
  • Os X Yosemite
  • Os X Mavericks
  • OS X Mount Panthera leo
  • OS X King of beasts

*Note that we have discovered that the links we requite below will but piece of work if yous are surfing in Safari, so we propose y'all switch to Apple's browser earlier moving on. You should also close the Mac App Shop app if y'all have that open up or the link may not work*

You won't be able to get the Mac OS 10 Snow Leopard download this fashion, only we'll expect at that later. In fact, we tell yous how to get copies of Leopard, Lion and Mountain Lion too!

We have a list of which Macs run which versions of macOS & Mac Os Ten.

How to download macOS Big Sur

You can download the installer for Big Sur from the Mac App Store - as long every bit you know where to find information technology - searching the Mac App Store will not piece of work.

  • Click on this link which to open up the Mac App Store on the Big Sur page. (Use Safari and make certain the Mac App Store app is closed first or it might not piece of work).

Follow these steps to download Large Sur (or any other version of macOS) from the Mac App Store:

  1. Click this link to open the Mac App Store on the Big Sur page.
  2. Click on Become.
  3. Software Update will open with the words "Finding Update". Eventually a message "Are you sure you want to download macOS Big Sur" will appear. It might look like an update rather than the full version, merely you'll see from the size of the download (around 6GB) that this is the complete installer for Big Sur.
  4. One time the installer has downloaded practise non click Install. If yous install it the installer will automatically be deleted.
  5. You lot should be able to find the Install macOS Big Sur app in your Applications binder, you'll need this for the next steps, which we outline here: How to downgrade macOS, install an older version on your Mac.

How to download macOS Catalina

You can also download the installer for Catalina from the Mac App Shop - every bit long every bit you know the magic link.

  • Click on this link which will open up the Mac App Store on the Catalina folio. (Apply Safari and make sure the Mac App Store app is closed commencement).

Catalina Mac App Store

As higher up, follow these steps to download Catalina (or any other version of macOS) from the Mac App Store:

  1. Click this link to open up the Mac App Store on the Catalina page.
  2. Click on Get.
  3. Software Update volition open with the words "Finding Update". Eventually a bulletin "Are you sure you want to download macOS Catalina" will appear. It might look like an update rather than the total version, simply you lot'll see from the size of the download (around 6GB) that this is the consummate installer for Catalina. Download Catalina
  4. Once the installer has downloaded do non click Install. If you install it the installer will automatically be deleted.
  5. Y'all should be able to find the Install macOS Catalina app in your Applications binder, you'll demand this for the next steps, which we outline here: How to downgrade macOS, install an older version on your Mac.

How to download macOS Mojave

It is also possible to access the Mojave installer via this link to the Mac App Store. Note that equally to a higher place, for this link to work yous need to exist running Safari and you demand to close the Mac App Store app first. If the Mac App Store app is open this redirect will not work.

  • Click on this link to open the Mac App Store on the Mojave page.

Follow the steps in the section above to download it.

Download Mojave

How to download High Sierra

It is also possible to download High Sierra via this link. (Employ Safari, close the Mac App Shop app first).

Follow the steps in the department above to download High Sierra.

How to download Sierra, El Capitan or Yosemite

Apple tree provides dmg files of these older macOS versions - you need to download them in Safari. A disk epitome named InstallOS.dmg volition download and once it does y'all need to locate the pkg installer within the disk image.

That Mac App Store link isn't working for me!

We've said above that in our feel usually the reason the higher up links don't work is if you lot are browsing in something other than Safari, or if you have already got the Mac App Store open. However, if you are still finding that the link isn't working you could try the alternative methods below.

Some other issue is if the link takes you to the correct page in the Mac App Store, but you lot see an Update non institute error bulletin when you try to download information technology. This is an issue nosotros are aware of that others have encountered, although we haven't. In that case we suggest you endeavor to download the installer via that link using an older Mac.

Y'all may as well meet issues if you are trying to download an older version of macOS that your Mac cannot support. Normally when Apple introduces a new Mac it volition not be able to run the version of macOS that shipped before the 1 installed on that Mac. The older macOS might not support certain components in that Mac, for example.

Find out more about what version of macOS your Mac supports here: What version of macOS can my Mac run?

Other ways to become old macOS versions

If you are running an older version of macOS - or someone yous know is - you should exist able to easily find older versions of macOS and fifty-fifty Mac OS X in the Mac App Store. How easy they are to observe will exist determined past the version of macOS running on that Mac.

Prior to macOS Mojave's inflow in 2018 the installers for the older macOS versions could be searched for or found via the Purchased tab (non that anyone has had to pay for a Mac OS X update for years).

However, when Apple introduced Mojave the Mac App Store changed, and these installers can no longer be searched for or found in the purchased section of the store. (Although we do have redirect links in the section in a higher place to each of the relevant pages on the Mac App Store.)

If y'all happen to have admission to a Mac that's running an older version of macOS, log into the Mac App Shop with your countersign and download the Mojave installer on that Mac. Alternatively ask a friend to download a copy of the installer from the Mac App Store for you. Nosotros run through this method in the section below.

Equally in a higher place, once the installer has downloaded don't install it! If you exercise then the installer will be deleted. You'll observe the installer in your Applications folder from which you lot can copy on to your Mac - or create a bootable installer.

We've heard that it may be possible to download the installer via Terminal, yet we were unable to get that method to work.

You may also find updates to old version of macOS on Apple's website here, yet these are but indicate updates, rather than the total version, so it won't be much aid if you lot are trying to get the full download.

The i thing y'all actually mustn't exercise is go to a torrent site and download a re-create of the Bone X you want. Just because Apple gives abroad its software for gratuitous, don't think it'due south fine to just option upward a copy. Pirated copies of Apple software could have been adjusted to allow hackers access to the software and your Mac.

Download Mac Bone X

If you lot accept access to a Mac running Os X Yosemite or older information technology is possible to run across erstwhile versions of Mac Bone Ten in the Mac App Store. Yosemite, Mavericks and Mountain Lion can all be seen here.

It's worth noting that you'll only see old versions of Mac Os X that you've downloaded under Purchased - if you never downloaded it (or if information technology was never on the Mac App Shop), that version will not be in your Purchased department. Another reason why the version of Mac Bone Ten might be missing is if your automobile shipped with that version installed. We'll look at that scenario later.

Here is how to get an older version of Mac Bone 10 from the Mac App Store (this only works if you lot've downloaded it in the past and information technology won't piece of work if you lot have already installed Mojave or later):

  1. Open up the Mac App Store (choose Store > Sign In if you lot need to log in).
  2. Click Purchased.
  3. Scroll down to detect the copy of OS X or macOS you want.
  4. Click Install.

Clicking Install won't actually install the software, but information technology will download the installer application to your Applications binder.

You won't exist able to merely install this older version of the operating organization straight onto a Mac running a newer version of Bone Ten or macOS. We will explicate how it can be installed on a Mac - including ane currently running an earlier operating organisation here: How to install old Mac OS X versions.

Can't find Mac Os X in Purchased?

If you know you lot have previously downloaded the version of macOS you are afterwards, but you aren't seeing information technology in the Purchased section, there are a few things to endeavor:

  1. Log out of the App Store so log in once more.
  2. If it's a possibility that you lot downloaded it while logged in to a different Apple ID (perhaps a work-related one), log in using that ID.
  3. Alternatively, discover someone who has downloaded that version of the Mac operating system and ask them to download the installation file for you.

If yous never downloaded the version of Mac Os 10 so jump to step 3 and find a friendly person who did. Ask them to download the Mac Bone X installer for yous.

Luckily the copy of OS X isn't locked to their account so information technology volition install on any Mac.

How to become OS X King of beasts, Mountain Panthera leo

Prior to June 2021 you could purchase OS X 10.7 Lion or Mountain Lion from Apple for £nineteen.99 each - Apple would transport you lot a download code. Now Apple has stopped charging for the ageing operating system versions. Instead you lot tin can download the operating systems directly from the visitor's website.

The operating systems can be downloaded from the following links:

If it's Mac OS X x.7 King of beasts that y'all are after, it's still available for £nineteen.99 here US or here UK. Apple volition send you a download code to apply on the Mac App Store, so you will need to be running Snow Leopard to install it.

If it's OS X x.viii Mountain King of beasts that you lot tin yet purchase it for £nineteen.99 hither US or here United kingdom.

We take more than data about getting the free installers for OS X Lion and Mountain Lion from Apple tree in Apple tree offers complimentary downloads of Os X Lion and Mountain Lion.

Whether your Mac will really run these operating systems is another question we accost hither: Which versions of macOS can my Mac run? Notation that only Macs that predate 2012 will run King of beasts.

How to get OS X Snow Leopard

If your Mac has a version of macOS installed that is older than Snow Leopard you won't take access to the Mac App Store. Since for a number of years afterward Snowfall Leopard arrived all versions of Mac OS 10 arrived via the Mac App Shop, those who never installed Snow Leopard had a trouble: without Snowfall Leopard they couldn't update.

Until 2021 Apple nonetheless sold a boxed version of Mac OS Ten ten.6 Snowfall Leopard hither for £19.99 (at its launch in 2009 it cost £25). If you purchased Snow Leopard this way y'all were sent a physical box containing an optical disc - so yous will need a CD/DVD bulldoze to install information technology (which you will probably have if the Mac is that former).

Apple has now removed the ability to buy Snow Leopard. Still, this isn't a big problem because those people who were previously locked out of updates can at present download the Lion or Mount Panthera leo update, equally explained higher up.

Get Snow Leopard

How to get OS X Leopard or before

If the old version of the OS you are later predates Snow Leopard and you lot have a developer account y'all might be able to go information technology from programmer.apple tree.com/downloads. If you search inside the OS X category you lot should see downloads for all versions of Os X, at least from version 10.three to 10.6.

You may be able to access the Developer section of the website, but you will simply be able to admission certain software downloads if your Apple tree ID is associated with a paid Apple tree Programmer Program.

If yous oasis't signed up equally a Apple tree Developer, find out what that entails hither. Information technology costs £79 ($99) a year to join the Apple tree Developer Program and you take to sign a non disclosure agreement.

You could besides try looking on Amazon or eBay to see if anyone is selling sometime versions of the Mac operating system. For instance there's a Total Install of OS X Lion bachelor for £8.50 on Amazon here.

If it's Tiger you are later, then information technology will cost a lilliputian more than. In that location was a copy of Tiger on Amazon for £89.99 only it's currently unavailable.

How to download Mac OS X Mountain Lion, Snow Leopard and older Mac software