There are a few reasons why you might want to download and install old versions of macOS or Mac OS 10. Perhaps you lot are relying on software you lot take discovered doesn't work properly in the latest version. Or perchance y'all just don't similar the new version of macOS that you accept installed.

Some other scenario is that you lot are a developer and you demand to be running multiple versions of macOS and Mac OS 10 so that you tin can be sure that your software runs correctly on them. Either style, you take questions and we have answers.

In this article we will cover how to get erstwhile versions of macOS including Big Sur, Catalina, Mojave, El Capitan, Sierra, Yosemite and even old versions of Mac Os X. Nosotros explain how to get hold of the relevant installer files so that you can install the software on your Mac.

We have a carve up article that explains how to install old versions of macOS for when you get 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 about downgrading from Monterey to Big Sur and other versions, although we do cover the method here too. Nosotros also have a guide to downgrading from the macOS beta.

However, if you were hoping to run older versions of macOS on M1 Macs that'south non possible.

You also might want to get the installer for a version of macOS in club to make a bootable installer for installing macOS on multiple Macs (we also wait at that scenario separately).

Where can I download former macOS?

Before you lot can install an older version of macOS or Mac Bone 10 yous will need to get hold of the installer for the version of macOS you want to install. Luckily it is possible to gets hold of these files - as long as you know where to continue the Mac App Store.

We accept the necessary links to the Mac App Store below. We will show you a way to get the post-obit macOS installers:

  • macOS Big Sur
  • macOS Catalina
  • macOS Mojave
  • macOS High Sierra
  • macOS Sierra
  • OS 10 El Capitan
  • Bone X Yosemite
  • OS X Mavericks
  • Os X Mountain Lion
  • Os Ten Lion

*Notation that nosotros have discovered that the links we give beneath volition only work if yous are surfing in Safari, so we propose you switch to Apple's browser before moving on. You should also shut the Mac App Store app if you take that open or the link may not work*

You won't be able to go the Mac OS X Snow Leopard download this way, merely we'll wait at that later. In fact, nosotros tell you how to get copies of Leopard, Lion and Mountain Lion as well!

Nosotros have a list of which Macs run which versions of macOS & Mac Os X.

How to download macOS Big Sur

Y'all can download the installer for Big Sur from the Mac App Shop - as long as you know where to find it - searching the Mac App Shop will not piece of work.

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

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

  1. Click this link to open the Mac App Shop on the Big Sur page.
  2. Click on Get.
  3. Software Update volition open with the words "Finding Update". Eventually a bulletin "Are y'all certain you want to download macOS Big Sur" volition appear. It might look like an update rather than the full version, simply you'll see from the size of the download (around 6GB) that this is the complete installer for Big Sur.
  4. Once the installer has downloaded do not click Install. If you install it the installer will automatically exist deleted.
  5. You should be able to observe the Install macOS Large Sur app in your Applications binder, you lot'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 Catalina

Yous tin too download the installer for Catalina from the Mac App Shop - every bit long every bit y'all know the magic link.

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

Catalina Mac App Store

As in a higher place, follow these steps to download Catalina (or whatsoever other version of macOS) from the Mac App Shop:

  1. Click this link to open the Mac App Shop on the Catalina page.
  2. Click on Get.
  3. Software Update will open with the words "Finding Update". Eventually a bulletin "Are you lot sure you desire to download macOS Catalina" volition appear. It might expect like an update rather than the full version, only you'll see from the size of the download (around 6GB) that this is the complete installer for Catalina. Download Catalina
  4. Once the installer has downloaded practice not click Install. If you install it the installer will automatically exist deleted.
  5. You lot should be able to find the Install macOS Catalina app in your Applications folder, 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 Mojave

It is likewise possible to access the Mojave installer via this link to the Mac App Shop. Notation that as above, for this link to work yous need to be running Safari and you need to shut the Mac App Store app outset. If the Mac App Store app is open up this redirect volition non 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. (Use Safari, close the Mac App Store app outset).

Follow the steps in the section in a higher place to download High Sierra.

How to download Sierra, El Capitan or Yosemite

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

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

Nosotros've said in a higher place that in our experience usually the reason the in a higher place links don't work is if you are browsing in something other than Safari, or if yous have already got the Mac App Shop open up. However, if you are all the same finding that the link isn't working you could try the alternative methods below.

Another issue is if the link takes you to the correct page in the Mac App Store, but you encounter an Update not establish error bulletin when you try to download it. This is an issue we 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.

You may besides meet issues if you lot are trying to download an older version of macOS that your Mac cannot back up. Unremarkably when Apple introduces a new Mac it will not be able to run the version of macOS that shipped before the ane installed on that Mac. The older macOS might not support certain components in that Mac, for example.

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

Other ways to get old macOS versions

If y'all are running an older version of macOS - or someone y'all know is - you should be able to easily find older versions of macOS and fifty-fifty Mac OS X in the Mac App Shop. How easy they are to find volition be determined by the version of macOS running on that Mac.

Prior to macOS Mojave's arrival in 2018 the installers for the older macOS versions could be searched for or found via the Purchased tab (not that anyone has had to pay for a Mac Os 10 update for years).

However, when Apple introduced Mojave the Mac App Store inverse, 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 department in a higher place to each of the relevant pages on the Mac App Store.)

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

Equally above, once the installer has downloaded don't install information technology! If you do so the installer will be deleted. You'll discover the installer in your Applications binder from which yous tin copy on to your Mac - or create a bootable installer.

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

You may also find updates to former version of macOS on Apple's website here, however these are just point updates, rather than the total version, then information technology won't be much help if you are trying to get the full download.

The one thing y'all really mustn't do is become to a torrent site and download a copy of the Bone X yous want. Just because Apple gives away its software for free, don't think it's fine to just selection up a copy. Pirated copies of Apple software could have been adapted to allow hackers admission to the software and your Mac.

Download Mac Bone X

If you have access to a Mac running Os X Yosemite or older it is possible to see onetime versions of Mac OS X in the Mac App Store. Yosemite, Mavericks and Mountain Lion can all be seen here.

Information technology's worth noting that you'll simply see old versions of Mac Bone X that you've downloaded nether Purchased - if you lot never downloaded it (or if it was never on the Mac App Store), that version volition not exist in your Purchased section. Another reason why the version of Mac OS X might be missing is if your machine shipped with that version installed. We'll look at that scenario later.

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

  1. Open the Mac App Store (choose Shop > Sign In if y'all need to log in).
  2. Click Purchased.
  3. Curl down to find the copy of OS Ten or macOS you desire.
  4. Click Install.

Clicking Install won't actually install the software, but it volition download the installer application to your Applications folder.

You won't be able to simply install this older version of the operating organisation directly onto a Mac running a newer version of OS X or macOS. We will explain how information technology can be installed on a Mac - including one currently running an earlier operating system here: How to install old Mac Os X versions.

Tin't find Mac Os X in Purchased?

If you know you have previously downloaded the version of macOS y'all are after, but you aren't seeing it in the Purchased section, in that location are a few things to try:

  1. Log out of the App Store then log in again.
  2. If it'due south a possibility that you downloaded information technology while logged in to a different Apple ID (perhaps a work-related one), log in using that ID.
  3. Alternatively, find someone who has downloaded that version of the Mac operating organisation and ask them to download the installation file for you.

If you never downloaded the version of Mac Os X then jump to stride three and find a friendly person who did. Ask them to download the Mac Os X installer for you.

Luckily the copy of OS Ten isn't locked to their account so it will install on any Mac.

How to get Os X King of beasts, Mountain Lion

Prior to June 2021 you could buy Os 10 10.7 Panthera leo or Mount Lion from Apple for £19.99 each - Apple tree would ship you a download code. Now Apple tree has stopped charging for the ageing operating organization versions. Instead y'all can download the operating systems directly from the company's website.

The operating systems can be downloaded from the post-obit links:

If information technology's Mac OS X 10.7 Lion that y'all are after, it's still bachelor for £19.99 here US or hither Britain. Apple will send you lot a download code to use on the Mac App Store, so you volition need to be running Snow Leopard to install it.

If it's OS X ten.8 Mountain Lion that you lot can notwithstanding purchase information technology for £19.99 here US or here United kingdom of great britain and northern ireland.

We accept more information about getting the free installers for OS X King of beasts and Mountain King of beasts from Apple in Apple offers free downloads of OS 10 Lion and Mountain Lion.

Whether your Mac will actually run these operating systems is some other question nosotros accost here: Which versions of macOS tin can my Mac run? Annotation that merely Macs that predate 2012 will run Panthera leo.

How to become OS X Snow Leopard

If your Mac has a version of macOS installed that is older than Snow Leopard you won't have admission to the Mac App Store. Since for a number of years after Snow Leopard arrived all versions of Mac Os X arrived via the Mac App Store, those who never installed Snowfall Leopard had a problem: without Snowfall Leopard they couldn't update.

Until 2021 Apple still sold a boxed version of Mac OS 10 10.6 Snow Leopard here for £19.99 (at its launch in 2009 it cost £25). If you purchased Snow Leopard this way you were sent a concrete box containing an optical disc - so y'all will demand a CD/DVD drive to install it (which yous will probably accept if the Mac is that one-time).

Apple has now removed the ability to purchase Snow Leopard. However, this isn't a big problem because those people who were previously locked out of updates tin can at present download the Panthera leo or Mountain Lion update, as explained above.

Get Snow Leopard

How to go OS X Leopard or earlier

If the old version of the Os you are after predates Snow Leopard and you take a developer account you might be able to get information technology from developer.apple.com/downloads. If you search within the OS X category y'all should see downloads for all versions of Bone Ten, at to the lowest degree from version 10.3 to ten.6.

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

If you haven't signed up as a Apple Developer, discover out what that entails hither. It costs £79 ($99) a yr to join the Apple Developer Program and you have to sign a not disclosure agreement.

You could also attempt looking on Amazon or eBay to see if anyone is selling old versions of the Mac operating organization. For case there's a Total Install of OS X Lion bachelor for £eight.50 on Amazon here.

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

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