Over the last four years, I have noted Apple’s iterative improvements to the macOS upgrade process, which was overhauled for Yosemite (10.10) in 2014.

Like the Mac startup sequence, renewed at the same time, an Apple appears on the screen and a progress bar beneath it shows the installer’s progression. Additionally, there is an estimate of time to completion in small print.

This weekly newsletter hasn’t nearly enough space for a significant walkthrough of macOS Mojave (10.14). However, besides the advertised features, I want to share some important notes about it to prepare if you want to upgrade.

Compatibility

Every few years, Apple drops some older Macs from support by a new version of macOS. Most Mac models from before 2012 are not compatible with Mojave.

Here is the official list of supported Macs. You can usually find your model name in About This Mac.

You might have a 2010 or 2011 MacBook Pro or iMac that I upgraded to an SSD to give it a new lease on life.

That’s still possible, and macOS High Sierra remains great software that will carry your Mac forward with ease. However, it will probably only get security updates going forward and for a couple more years.

Also, while most third-party applications that worked in High Sierra will probably also work in Mojave, there are some exceptions. If you use any applications not created by Apple, please check in with me before upgrading.

Security & Privacy

macOS Mojave introduces a wealth of security enhancements that require you to give applications more specific permission to control other applications or the system at large. The dialogs that request these privileges may confuse you if you’re not expecting them.

If you tend to be hesitant to accept an on-screen request — which is generally a good thing — or prefer a more personal walkthrough, please contact me to schedule your upgrade.

Backup

If your Mac is compatible with macOS Mojave, you feel comfortable with the post-install process, and you feel ready to upgrade, make sure to back up your Mac first.

Just in case something goes wrong, or you discover a critical application that no longer works, you’ll want the easy ability to revert to your previous setup.

Download & Install

Did you receive a notification a couple weeks ago inviting you to upgrade. If so, don’t accept it or open the installer yet. (Don’t do it.)

This invitation arrived after your Mac had automatically downloaded the installer for the first release of macOS Mojave (10.14). However, I want you to install the already updated 10.14.1 version instead. This was released October 30.

Unless you first downloaded Mojave within the last seven days, follow this process:

  1. Go to your Applications folder and move Install macOS Mojave to the Trash
  2. Open the App Store, click the Mojave banner at the top, and click Download
  3. After the download completes, the installer will open and you can follow its prompts

If you run into any obstacles with this process, contact me for help.