Get the Latest macOS Catalina Update for Your MacBook Air
How to Download Catalina for MacBook Air
If you own a MacBook Air and you want to enjoy the latest features and enhancements of macOS, you may be interested in upgrading to Catalina, the 15th major release of Apple's operating system. In this article, we will show you how to check if your MacBook Air is compatible with Catalina, how to prepare your device for the upgrade, how to download and install Catalina, and how to troubleshoot some common problems that may arise along the way.
What is Catalina and why you may want to upgrade
Catalina is the name of macOS version 10.15, which was released in October 2019. It is named after Santa Catalina Island, a popular tourist destination off the coast of California. Catalina brings many new features and improvements to macOS, such as:
download catalina for macbook air
Sidecar: This feature allows you to use your iPad as a second display or a drawing tablet for your Mac. You can connect your iPad wirelessly or with a cable, and use it with compatible apps like Photoshop, Illustrator, Sketch, and more.
Music, TV, and Podcasts: These apps replace iTunes, which was split into separate apps for different media types. You can access your music library, stream Apple Music, watch movies and shows, and listen to podcasts with these sleek and simple apps.
Screen Time: This feature helps you monitor and manage your device usage, set limits for apps and websites, and enable parental controls for your children. You can sync your Screen Time data across your Mac and iOS devices.
Find My: This app combines Find My iPhone and Find My Friends into one app that helps you locate your devices, friends, and family members. You can also use it to find your devices even when they are offline or sleeping.
Photos: This app has been redesigned with a new layout that showcases your best photos and videos. You can also browse your photos by days, months, or years, and enjoy new editing tools and effects.
Notes: This app has been improved with a new gallery view, a more powerful search function, shared folders, checklist options, and more.
Reminders: This app has been revamped with a new look, smart lists, subtasks, attachments, Siri integration, and more.
Safari: This browser has been updated with a new start page, a new download manager, enhanced security and privacy features, support for weak password warnings, and more.
Voice Control: This feature allows you to control your Mac entirely with your voice. You can use voice commands to launch apps, navigate menus, edit text, perform gestures, and more.
Security: Catalina enhances the security of your Mac by requiring apps to get your permission before accessing your data or components like camera or microphone. It also introduces a new read-only system volume that protects your system files from tampering, and a new Activation Lock feature that prevents anyone from erasing or reactivating your Mac without your Apple ID and password.
As you can see, Catalina offers many advantages and enhancements for your Mac experience. However, before you decide to upgrade, you should also be aware of some of the compatibility and requirements of Catalina.
The compatibility and requirements of Catalina
Catalina is compatible with most Mac models released in 2012 or later, but not all of them. Here is the list of Macs that can run Catalina:
MacBook (2015 or later)
MacBook Air (2012 or later)
MacBook Pro (2012 or later)
Mac mini (2012 or later)
iMac (2012 or later)
iMac Pro (2017 or later)
Mac Pro (2013 or later)
If your Mac is not on this list, you cannot upgrade to Catalina. You can still use your current macOS version, but you may not receive the latest security updates and features from Apple.
Another thing to consider is that Catalina only supports 64-bit apps, which means that some older 32-bit apps may not work on Catalina. You can check which apps are 32-bit or 64-bit by going to the Apple menu > About This Mac > System Report > Software > Applications, and looking at the column labeled "64-Bit (Intel)". If you see "No" next to an app, it means that it is 32-bit and may not be compatible with Catalina. You can either look for an updated version of the app, find an alternative app, or keep using your current macOS version if you need to use the app.
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Besides the compatibility issues, you also need to make sure that your Mac meets the minimum requirements for Catalina. According to Apple, these are the requirements:
OS X 10.9 or later
4GB of memory
12.5GB of available storage space (or up to 18.5GB of storage space when upgrading from OS X Yosemite or earlier)
An Apple ID and internet access
If your Mac meets these requirements, you are ready to check if your MacBook Air can run Catalina.
How to check if your MacBook Air can run Catalina
To check if your MacBook Air can run Catalina, you need to find out what model and year it is. Here are the steps to do that:
How to find your MacBook Air model and year
Go to the Apple menu and choose About This Mac.
A window will pop up with information about your Mac, such as the processor, memory, graphics, serial number, etc.
Click on the Overview tab and look at the line that says "MacBook Air". You will see a model name and a year, such as "MacBook Air (13-inch, Early 2015)" or "MacBook Air (11-inch, Mid 2013)". This is your MacBook Air model and year.
How to compare your MacBook Air with the list of supported Macs
Once you have found your MacBook Air model and year, you can compare it with the list of supported Macs that we mentioned earlier. If your MacBook Air is on the list, it means that it can run Catalina. If it is not on the list, it means that it cannot run Catalina.
How to prepare your MacBook Air for the upgrade
If you have confirmed that your MacBook Air can run Catalina, you are almost ready to download and install it. But before you do that, you should prepare your device for the upgrade by doing some tasks such as backing up your data, freeing up storage space, and updating your apps and software. These tasks will help you avoid potential problems and ensure a smooth upgrade process.
How to back up your data with Time Machine or iCloud
The first and most important task is to back up your data. This will protect you from losing any important files or settings in case something goes wrong during the upgrade. You can use either Time Machine or iCloud to back up your data.
Time Machine: Time Machine is a built-in feature of macOS that lets you create a backup of your entire Mac on an external hard drive or a network device. You can set up Time Machine to automatically back up your Mac every hour, day, or week. To use Time Machine, you need to follow these steps:
Connect an external hard drive or a network device to your Mac. Make sure that it has enough space to store your backup.
Go to the Apple menu and choose System Preferences.
Click on Time Machine and turn it on.
Select the disk or device that you want to use as your backup destination.
Wait for Time Machine to start backing up your Mac. You can see the progress and status of your backup in the menu bar.
When the backup is complete, you can disconnect the disk or device from your Mac. You can also leave it connected if you want to keep backing up your Mac regularly.
iCloud: iCloud is a cloud service that lets you store and sync your data across your Apple devices. You can use iCloud to back up some of your data, such as your photos, contacts, calendars, notes, reminders, etc. To use iCloud, you need to follow these steps:
Go to the Apple menu and choose System Preferences.
Click on Apple ID and sign in with your Apple ID and password.
Select iCloud from the sidebar and turn it on.
Choose the apps and data that you want to back up and sync with iCloud. You can also click on Manage to see how much storage space you have and how much you are using.
Wait for iCloud to start backing up and syncing your data. You can see the progress and status of your backup in the menu bar.
Whether you use Time Machine or iCloud, you should always have a backup of your data before upgrading to Catalina.
How to free up storage space and delete unnecessary files
The next task is to free up some storage space on your MacBook Air. This will help you download and install Catalina faster and easier. Catalina requires at least 12.5GB of available storage space (or up to 18.5GB of storage space when upgrading from OS X Yosemite or earlier), but it is recommended that you have more than that for optimal performance. To free up some storage space, you can do the following:
Delete files that you don't need: You can go through your files and folders and delete any documents, photos, videos, music, or other files that you don't use or need anymore. You can also empty your Trash bin regularly to remove the deleted files permanently.
Optimize your storage: You can use a built-in feature of macOS that helps you optimize your storage by automatically storing some of your files in iCloud, deleting iTunes movies and TV shows that you have watched, emptying Trash automatically after 30 days, and reducing clutter by identifying large or old files that you can review and delete. To use this feature, go to the Apple menu > About This Mac > Storage > Manage > Recommendations, and choose the options that suit you.
Uninstall apps that you don't use: You can uninstall any apps that you don't use or need anymore to free up some space. To uninstall an app, you can either drag it from the Applications folder to the Trash bin, or use an app cleaner tool that removes all the associated files and folders of the app.
By doing these steps, you can free up some storage space and make room for Catalina.
How to update your apps and software to the latest versions
The last task is to update your apps and software to the latest versions. This will ensure that they are compatible with Catalina and that they work properly after the upgrade. To update your apps and software, you can do the following:
Update your apps from the App Store: You can update any apps that you have downloaded from the App Store by going to the App Store app > Updates, and clicking on Update All or Update next to each app.
Update your apps from other sources: You can update any apps that you have downloaded from other sources by checking their websites or menus for updates, or using an app updater tool that scans your Mac for outdated apps and helps you update them.
Update your software from Software Update: You can update your macOS software by going to the Apple menu > System Preferences > Software Update, and clicking on Update Now if there are any updates available.
By doing these steps, you can update your apps and software to the latest versions and make sure that they are ready for Catalina.
How to download and install Catalina on your MacBook Air
Now that you have prepared your MacBook Air for the upgrade, you can proceed to download and install Catalina on your device. There are two main ways to do this: using Software Update or the App Store, or using a bootable installer or a macOS Patcher. We will explain both methods and their pros and cons.
How to use Software Update or the App Store to download Catalina
The easiest and most common way to download and install Catalina is to use Software Update or the App Store. This method will automatically download and install the latest version of Catalina on your MacBook Air. To use this method, you need to follow these steps:
Make sure that your MacBook Air is connected to a power source and a reliable internet connection.
Go to the Apple menu > System Preferences > Software Update, and check if there is an update available for Catalina. If there is, click on Upgrade Now and follow the onscreen instructions. If there is not, go to the next step.
Go to the App Store app and search for Catalina in the search bar. Alternatively, you can use this link to go directly to the Catalina page in the App Store.
Click on Get or Download next to Catalina, and enter your Apple ID and password if prompted.
Wait for Catalina to download on your MacBook Air. You can see the progress and status of your download in the Launchpad app or in the menu bar.
When the download is complete, a window will pop up asking you to continue with the installation. Click on Continue and follow the onscreen instructions.
Your MacBook Air will restart several times during the installation process. Do not turn off or disconnect your device until the installation is complete.
When the installation is complete, you will see a welcome screen asking you to set up some settings and preferences for Catalina. Follow the onscreen instructions and enjoy your new macOS version.
The advantages of this method are that it is simple, convenient, and fast. The disadvantages are that it requires a stable internet connection, it may not work if your MacBook Air has low storage space or battery level, and it may not be compatible with some older Mac models that are not officially supported by Apple.
How to use a bootable installer or a macOS Patcher to download Catalina
The alternative way to download and install Catalina is to use a bootable installer or a macOS Patcher. This method will allow you to create a bootable USB drive or DVD that contains Catalina, and use it to install Catalina on your MacBook Air. To use this method, you need to follow these steps:
Obtain a USB drive or DVD that has at least 16GB of storage space, and format it as Mac OS Extended (Journaled) using Disk Utility.
Download Catalina from the App Store app or from this link, but do not install it yet. The installer file will be saved in your Applications folder as "Install macOS Catalina".
If your MacBook Air is officially supported by Apple, you can create a bootable installer by following these instructions. If your MacBook Air is not officially supported by Apple, you can create a bootable installer by following these instructions.
When you have created your bootable installer, plug it into your MacBook Air and restart your device while holding down the Option key.
A startup manager will appear, showing you the available startup disks. Choose the one that says "Install macOS Catalina" or "macOS Patcher" depending on which method you used.
A window will pop up asking you to continue with the installation. Click on Continue and follow the onscreen instructions.
Your MacBook Air will restart several times during the installation process. Do not turn off or disconnect your device until the installation is complete.
When the installation is complete, you will see a welcome screen asking you to set up some settings and preferences for Catalina. Follow the onscreen instructions and enjoy your new macOS version.
The advantages of this method are that it does not require a stable internet connection, it can work if your MacBook Air has low storage space or battery level, and it can be compatible with some older Mac models that are not officially supported by Apple. The disadvantages are that it is more complicated, time-consuming, and risky. You may encounter some errors or issues during or after the installation, such as data loss, system your apps software by following the steps that we mentioned earlier.
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