macOS Updates and Upgrades

Owned by Matt Davidson
Last updated: Sep 13, 2023 by Lucas Lane
3 min read



Information Security Office Compliance


https://security.utexas.edu/content/min-security-standards | Systems > Minimum Standards > 4.5. System Hardening > 4.5.2

  • "Operating system and application services security patches are installed expediently (e.g., 30-days) and in a manner consistent with change management procedures. Products that no longer receive security updates from the vendor (e.g., unsupported) are not authorized."

  • Apple does not provide security updates for anything older than the last three operating systems released. At this time, you must be running at least macOS Catalina 10.15.7 to be in compliance with the Information Security Office's minimum security standards.





Minimum Requirements

macOS Ventura 13

macOS Monterey 12

macOS Big Sur 11



https://support.apple.com/kb/sp833?locale=en_US
Released: October 24, 2022Released: October 25, 2021Released: November 12, 2020

General Requirements



General Requirements


* If upgrading from macOS Sierra or later, macOS Monterey requires 26GB of available storage to upgrade. If upgrading from an earlier release, macOS Monterey requires up to 44GB of available storage.

General Requirements

  • OS X 10.9 or later
  • 4GB of memory
  • 35.5GB available storage (macOS Sierra 10.12.6 or later)*

* Requires up to 44.5 GB of available storage to upgrade from earlier releases.

Mac Hardware Requirements

macOS Monterey is compatible with these computers:

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT213264

Mac Hardware Requirements

macOS Monterey is compatible with these computers:

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212551

Mac Hardware Requirements

  • MacBook (2015 or later)
  • MacBook Air (2013 or later)
  • MacBook Pro (Late 2013 or later)
  • Mac mini (2014 or later)
  • iMac (2014 or later)
  • iMac Pro (2017 or later)
  • Mac Pro (2013 or later)





Know Before You Upgrade / Known Issues

Starting with macOS Catalina 10.15, 32-bit apps are no longer compatible with macOS.

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT208436

How to find and view all 32-Bit apps on a Mac:

  1. Hold down the option/Alt key on your keyboard, then select the  Apple menu
  2. Choose “System Information...” from the top of the Apple menu list
  3. In the System Information app, scroll down on the left-side menu and choose 'Applications' under 'Software'
  4. Look for the '64-bit (Intel)' option in the column header in the top box on the right, and click the title to sort the column by 64-bit
  5. Every app that says “No” is 32-bit, every app that says “Yes” is 64-bit


***Most software developers have updated their apps to 64-bit, but if you have special software you use and need to make sure it works on an up-to-date operating system, please confirm compatibility with the developer.***





Upgrade Best Practices

Check compatibility

Check that your current software and hardware meet the requirements based on the above tables before upgrading.

Confirm or make a backup of the current system before upgrading

  • Instructions for confirming or creating a backup through Code42 (the University's backup system) can be found here: Code42 CrashPlan UT Backup
  • Information on UTBox and using this service to store or keep a copy of your files can be found here: UTBox Wiki Pages

Get connected

It takes time to download and install macOS, so make sure that you have a reliable Internet connection. If upgrading a Mac notebook computer, plug it into AC power.





How To Update and Upgrade

To get the latest features and maintain the security, stability, compatibility, and performance of your Mac, it's important to keep your software up to date. Apple recommends that you always use the latest macOS that is compatible with your Mac.

How to update the software on your Mac

Use Software Update to find and install updates for macOS, built-in apps like Safari, and apps downloaded from the App Store.

How to upgrade to macOS Ventura

Learn how to download and install macOS Big Sur, the latest version of the Mac operating system.

How to get old versions of macOS

If your Mac isn't compatible with the latest macOS, you might still be able to upgrade to an earlier macOS, such as macOS Monterey or Big Sur.





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