Got an older MacBook or Mac Mini, and macOS Catalina is not supported? Here is how you can install macOS Catalina on an unsupported macOS. Check out step by step tutorial with download links and the complete guide.
⭐⭐⭐NEW UPDATED GUIDE IS HERE; ⭐⭐⭐I show you how it's possible to install Mac OSX 10.15 Catalina on to an. Apple's official list of Macs supporting macOS Catalina: MacBook (Early 2015 or newer) MacBook Air (Mid 2012 or newer) MacBook Pro (Mid 2012 or newer) Mac mini (Late 2012 or newer) iMac (Late 2012.
Another year, another major release by Apple for the latest mac users. Now, macOS Catalina is the latest version running on the latest devices. In this update Apple have improved the processing speed, adds the side car feature; connect your iPad Pro with mac for better development using Apple Pencil and much more features like Screen Time. However, this update is also useful because it includes the iPhone apps for macOS device. For the example, Twitter app is now also available for macOS Catalina.
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- MacBook (Early 2015 or newer)
- MacBook Air (Mid 2012 or newer)
- MacBook Pro (Mid 2012 or newer)
- Mac mini (Late 2012 or newer)
- iMac (Late 2012 or newer)
- iMac Pro (2017)
- Mac Pro (Late 2013 or newer)
If you are one who have an older MacBook or Mac Mini and want to run this update on your machine then this is the right place where you are going to learn the easiest way to install macOS Catalina on unsupported mac. Yes, this is a truth you were always looking for. Now yo can easily do this by following some steps. I have shared all the download links and step by step guide to do this.
- Early-2008 or newer Mac Pro, iMac, or MacBook Pro
- Late-2008 or newer MacBook Air or Aluminum Unibody MacBook
- Early-2009 or newer Mac Mini or white MacBook
- Early-2008 or newer Xserve
However, still if you are using macOS Catalina Patcher listed machines are not compatible.
- 2006-2007 Mac Pros, iMacs, MacBook Pros, and Mac Minis
- 2006-2008 MacBook
- 2008 MacBook Air
Before proceeding next, please make a complete backup of your current macOS version running on your machine. This method requires time and there are still some bugs and you also see something missing.
Requirements for Installing macOS Catalina on unsupported mac
- Access to a Mac using which we will create a bootable macOS Catalina installer USB.
- At least 16GB storage of USB in MacOS Extended Journal format.
- Backup of the target machine.
Now, if you have read all the above-mentioned things and you are ready to install macOS Catalina on unsupported mac then follow the give steps.
If your device is still compatible with macOS Catalina patcher then follow the given steps.
- At the very first, you need to Download the latest version of macOS Catalina Patcher on the real macOS device. Always use the latest version of this patcher because they have bug fixes for you.
- Open the macOS Catalina Patcher app and hit continue button on your screen.
- At this stage, we are going to click at “Download a Copy” button because we need to create a bootable USB.
- Depending on the speed of internet the installer of 8GB will download when you hit Start download button.
- Once downloaded, you will see different installation methods. Just, insert the USB in your MacBook and click on “Create a Bootable Installer”.
- Once USB Drive is ready, plug-in this USB into the unsupported mac where you want to install macOS Catalina.
- Power on the machine and keep holding the Option key on mac. You will see the Startup Manager on Screen. Using arrow keys, click on the USB drive you have created.
- At this step, you are in macOS recovery and you need to format your internal drive with APFS format on which you are going to install macOS Catalina using patcher.
- Now just wait ‘Reinstall macOS’ option to start the installation process. This will take some hour. If you see any command lines, ignore them because this is normal.
- Once the installation is done, shutdown your mac. Again, boot it using USB drive. This step is important because we need to verify patches.
- At the macOS recovery screen, hit ‘macOS Post Install’ option. Let the MacBook select the right patches for you. Click Apply Patches and sit back.
- At the final step, hit ‘Force Cache Rebuild’ and click Restart.
- Finally, you will see the macOS Catalina Setup screen on your mac.
- Setup the device according to your need. You will see ‘Setting up Mac’ screen before the desktop.
- As a result, you have successfully installed and booted macOS Catalina on unsupported mac.
That’s all for today. If you have any issues while installing macOS Catalina using this patcher you can comment below. Our team will assist you as soon as possible. However, this is not a rocket science. Just make sure you are following the steps carefully and not skipping any.
If you have confusions you can also try the video tutorial made by the developer of this patcher. He have also explained all these steps very well.
2011 Mac Upgrade To Catalina
EMBEDD THIS VIDEO HERE: https://youtu.be/wxFzZWqoCng
Also leave a comment of you have successfully installed macOS Catalina on your unsupported mac. We are always looking to see our visitors happy.
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In October last year, Apple releases a new version of macOS dubbed as ‘Catalina.’ This latest installment of macOS includes new features, including new apps for podcasts, music, and TV (replacing iTunes), the ability to use iPad as an external monitor, a revamped Photos app, and many more. Seeing this, it’s no wonder that some Mac users want to update their OS version to Catalina. However, not all of them have the luxury to do so.
Officially, macOS Catalina won’t work on older Mac devices that are deemed not powerful enough, according to Apple. Additionally, they provided the official list of the supported Macs:
- MacBook models released in 2015 or after
- MacBook Air models released in mid-2012 or after
- MacBook Pro models released in mid-2012 or after
- Mac mini models released in late 2012 or after
- iMac models released in late 2012 or after
- iMac Pro released in 2017
- Mac Pro models from late 2013
This means that if you have a Macbook Air or iMac released in 2011, you won’t be able to upgrade your OS to Catalina. What version of macOS do you have?
If you’re unsure what version of macOS you have, you can check your macOS or OS X version by clicking the Apple icon at the top-left corner of Mac’s screen, then select About This Mac. In the Overview tab, look at the Mac model year below the OS version number. If the year is the same or above the previous compatibility list, then you should be able to install macOS Catalina formally. If not, read on.
Make your old Mac support macOS Catalina
Older Mac owners don’t have to worry. It’s not the end of the world. There’s a patch that lets you install Catalina to Macs that are not officially supported. Magic keyboard connect to pc.
The patch is known as DosDude Catalina Patcher. DosDude Catalina Patcher is a third-party tool, meaning Apple does not develop the tool. It’s made by an individual developer instead. Keep in mind that just because you can make your old Mac run Catalina, it doesn’t necessarily mean it will always be a good thing to do.
Apple prevents older devices to run Catalina for a reason. As mentioned before, anything older than the officially supported hardware will most likely offer suboptimal performance using Catalina, not to mention that some features need newer hardware to function properly.
Mid 2011 Imac Catalina 2016
Despite that, it doesn’t mean that all old machines won’t run macOS Catalina well. Given that your hardware is capable enough, running Catalina shouldn’t introduce any lasting problems. The macOS Catalina Patcher is also updated regularly to address any issues that may surface. Otherwise, you can always downgrade your macOS to an older version if needed.
Install macOS Catalina on an older Mac
Before we begin, it might be a good idea to have a backup of your system using Time Machine, just in case. Creating a backup is always recommended. It’s not only useful for installing a new OS version can enable you to undo any changes after an update, which would be very helpful should something go wrong.
Once you are ready to jump into upgrading, follow the step-by-step guide below to install macOS Catalina on an older Mac using DosDude Catalina Patcher.
- First off, download the most recent version of Catalina Patcher from the official website.
- After the app is downloaded and installed, open it.
- The app will present you with a welcoming message. Keep clicking Continue until it finishes.
- Afterward, you need to get the macOS Installer App from Apple. You can either Download a Copy or Browse for a Copy… if you already have one. If you choose to download, the file size is about 7 to 8 GB, so you may need to wait for a while.
- Plug in a USB flash drive to your Mac and select Create a bootable installer on the Installation Method section.
- On the next screen, your flash drive should be detected as a volume. Else, you may have to first format your USB drive into macOS Extended Journaled if you haven’t already.
- When the flash drive is detected, select it, and click Start.
- Once the bootable installer is copied into the USB drive, restart your Mac. Hold down the Option key while the rebooting process takes place to open up the Startup Manager.
- From the boot list, choose the USB flash drive installer.
- Then, you’ll be taken to the macOS Utilities window. One thing to note is that if you run a version of macOS that is earlier than High Sierra, you’ll need to reformat your installation hard drive to APFS before proceeding. Use the Disk Utility option from the available list on the macOS Utilities window to do so. Otherwise, skip to the next step.
- Click on Reinstall macOS to install Catalina. Simply follow the process until the new OS, and the relevant patches are installed successfully.
Now, you can enjoy the latest version of macOS on an older Mac. Remember that Apple doesn’t recommend you do this, so some troubles might show up when operating your device. Even though dosdude1, the developer of Catalina Patcher, introduces new patches regularly, it shouldn’t be surprising if the experience may not be as good as using Catalina on Macs that officially supports it.