Things to Know Before (and After) Installing MacOS Mojave
Find the latest and greatest macOS version here. Whether you’ve been sitting on the beta for months or completely forgotten about version 10.14 of Apple’s desktop operating system, you can download the final version of macOS Mojave right now. Okay, maybe.
Which desktops and laptops are compatible with macOS Mojave?
According to Apple, these are the various computer configurations you can use with macOS Mojave. If you have an old Mac desktop or laptop, you’re out of luck (unless you get creative ):
- MacBook models introduced in early 2015 or later
- MacBook Air models introduced in Mid 2012 or later
- MacBook Pro models introduced in Mid 2012 or later
- Mac mini models introduced in Late 2012 or later
- IMac models introduced in late 2012 or later
- iMac Pro (all models)
- Mac Pro models introduced in Late 2013 and Mid 2010 or Mid 2012 models with a recommended Metal-capable GPU, including MSI Gaming Radeon RX 560 and Sapphire Radeon PULSE RX 580
Will macOS Mojave mess up my system?
Despite the fact that Apple’s update process is quite smooth, there is always a chance that the transition to a new version of the operating system will fail. I myself have not yet encountered this, but it cannot be said that it is impossible. And depending on the age and characteristics of your computer, upgrading to a newer version of macOS may cause slowdowns or other unexpected performance issues.
If you find that your system with macOS Mojave is worse than without it, you have several options after the fact. Before proceeding with the upgrade to macOS Mojave, make sure you back up your Time Machine system in its current state. (To do this, you need a connected drive or network storage device supported by Time Machine.) Then, if something goes wrong with macOS Mojave, you can always restore your system from a backup and get on with your life.
As Macworld points out, downgrading to a macOS version prior to High Sierra can be a challenge as you will have to reconfigure your drive for HFS + instead of High Sierra and Mojave APFS.
If you can’t make a Time Machine backup, you can also (probably) restore back to the operating system that came with your Mac. This will erase your data and settings until you sync your Mac backup with iCloud and you’ll have to reinstall your apps, but that’s an option. Boot into recovery mode by holding down the right Mac keyboard shortcut right after power on (usually Command + R) and select the Reinstall macOS option.
How to install macOS Mojave
It’s easy. Click this link in any browser on your Mac. Download and install Mojave. Ta-da .
I have installed macOS Mojave. Now what?
First, make sure you choose whether you want to use light or dark mode in macOS Mojave. Having a beautiful desktop is very important because you will be stuck on it for most of the day. (If you are indecisive, try this utility .)
From there, you can play with a lot of fun stuff in macOS Mojave . My recommendations include tidying up your desktop with the new Mojave stack feature, creating beautiful dynamic desktop wallpapers, reading some news through the updated Apple app, making your entire smart home run with the desktop version of the Apple Home app, checking out the new App Store (which should be familiar to anyone using iOS 11 and up) and switching icons in the brand new Safari 12.
If you’re frustrated that Apple’s Group FaceTime isn’t prime time yet, there are a few other options you can use for all of your huge video chats. Apple’s “Back to My Mac” file sharing and screen sharing utility is also gone, but you have alternatives for that too. And don’t forget to tweak the Mojave camera and microphone permissions , just in case some apps have a little more access to your life than you’re comfortable with.
For those who have lived insane lives in the past few months with the macOS Mojave public beta, you may want to consider dropping out of the program so that incremental beta releases – which may not be as stable as a major OS update – won’t hurt you in the future. any grief.
Finally, if you’re feeling nostalgic for the operating system you ditched to get to the Mojave, we get it. At the very least, you can still go back to your old operating system friends in your browser.