Click the Apple logo in the top left corner of the screen. Select 'App Store' from the drop-down menu (If you have updates waiting, that menu will show you how many). You can also open the App Store from the Dock and click the Updates tab to see which of your applications are out of date. Click the Update button beside each app to start. Jan 15, 2019 Next, make sure to set up for automatic updates from your System Preferences and the App Store, in order to always have your Mac performing at its best. So there you have it! We hope you enjoy the upgraded features and your Mac's new regained speed and, hopefully, extra space.
The classic OS X 10.12, or rather macOS upgrade, introduced tons of features anyone would still want on their Mac. Why? Because, it's well-tested and secure. Now we'll take a quick look at the legendary macOS Sierra upgrade. (In case you want to upgrade your Mac to macOS 10.13 High Sierra, check out this guide.)
First and foremost, it brought Siri to your Mac. This is great news for everyone who's already used to her help on iOS. Then, there's Watch unlocking for Mac, there's one-click Apple Pay, tabs in apps, and cross-device copypasting. Just to name a few.
So, if you were on the fence about upgrading to Sierra, and in fact, any newer OS, go right ahead. Your Mac deserves a refreshment.
How to upgrade macOS: Sierra 10.12 compatibility list
As with the previous versions, macOS Sierra is available for a limited list of Mac models.
Here are the models of Macs that are compatible with macOS 10.12 and can upgrade to Sierra:
MacBook Pro | MacBook Air | Mac mini |
Mid 2010 or newer | Late 2010 or newer | Mid 2010 or newer |
Mac Pro® | MacBook | iMac |
Mid 2010 or newer | Late 2009 or newer | Late 2009 or newer |
Does order matter when you upgrade macOS?
If your current operating system is OS X Lion (10.7), you can skip a few versions, and upgrade directly to macOS High Sierra. To upgrade to Sierra from, say, Mavericks, you'll have to consequently upgrade to Yosemite and then to El Capitan first.
Check Your macOS for Sierra Compatibility
These OS versions can upgrade to Sierra:
- OS X Mountain Lion v10.8
- OS X Mavericks v10.9
- OS X Yosemite v10.10
- OS X El Capitan v10.11
Here's how to find out which OS version you're running now:
- Click Apple icon in the top left corner.
- Choose About this Mac.
- There you have it, in capital letters.
Memory (RAM): 2 GB (preferably 4 GB)
Sierra is pretty lightweight, so you only need 2 GB of RAM to upgrade. Cool, eh?
Disk space: 8 GB of free space on drive.
In the same About this Mac menu select 'Storage' tab. In front of the multi-colored bar, you will see the phrase, 'X.XX GB free out of XX.XX GB.' If you don't have at least 8 GB of free space, you should delete some old files.
Before you update macOS, don't forget to:
Clean up your Mac
This is essential if you want a fast and effortless update, and glitchless work of your new macOS. And it's also pretty easy. To give your Mac a cleanup, you need to get rid of system junk, uninstall extra apps, and clean some old caches. If that sounds like a lot of work, you can get a Mac cleaner like CleanMyMac for the job.
How to update your Mac: Clean it up first
- Launch it.
- Hit Scan to find all the extra files you can delete.
- Press Run.
As you can see, I have 8.56 GB worth of caches, obsolete language files, broken downloads. You'll feel great getting rid of them.
That will give your Mac a basic system cleanup, but CleanMyMac is going to come in handy after the update as well. It monitors your Mac's health, helps you speed up the system and remove unnecessary apps (Trashing doesn't fully uninstall apps, by the way).
Back up your Mac
This is basic common sense before any Mac software update you'd like to undertake. Why? Well, because sometimes updates happen less smoothly than you'd like them to. To make sure you have all your information and files saved up neatly, you need a backup. To back up your Mac, you need to activate Time Machine.
- Open your Applications folder.
- Choose Time Machine.
- 'Select Backup Disk…'
Note: You may need to first choose to 'Set Up Time Machine.' - Choose where you'd like to store your backup.
- Both an external drive or an Airport Time Capsule fit.
- Switch the toggle on the left, from 'OFF' to 'ON.' Right beneath the name of your storage device, you'll see 'Oldest backup,' 'Latest backup,' and 'Next backup' — Your backup will begin within 5 minutes. To speed it up, click the arrow clock icon next to the Date & Time at the top-right of the menu bar and select 'Back Up Now.'
How to download macOS Sierra (or newer macOS) and install it
MacOS Sierra is available since September 20, 2016. If you're thinking 'That's cool, but how do I update my Mac to it?', no worries, it's quite simple.
To download any new macOS and install it you'll need to do the next:
- Open App Store.
- Click Updates tab in the top menu.
- You'll see Software Update — macOS Sierra or newer OS
- Click Update.
- Wait for macOS download and installation.
- Your Mac will restart when it's done.
- Now you have a new OS
We hope this guide has been of use, and don't forget to clean up your Mac and back it up before you get the classic macOS! Cheers.
These might also interest you:
Swapping out your old hard drive for a modern SSD is surprisingly affordable and results in 5X better performance: a reputable 500GB MacBook SSD can be had for around $150, while 1TB options are available for around $300 — both considerably cheaper than a new MacBook. It's also surprisingly easy, even if you don't know your way around the insides of a Mac.
Do I really need to upgrade my Mac hard drive?
Fitting a solid state drive in your MacBook Pro is a quick and simple way to boost performance but an upgrade might not always be needed.
If you only really use your Mac to browse the web and do some word processing, your current hard drive is probably fine. If your system feels a bit sluggish, try running CleanMyMac X first to clean away any resource-hogging junk. That might be the only fix you need (this way junk that is clogging up your system, such as old files, images, apps, duplicates and iPhone backups will be cleared away).
If, however, you're noticing any of the following issues, an SSD upgrade will most certainly help:
- Slow startup
- Sluggish performance in resource-intensive apps such as Adobe Photoshop
- System crashes
- Permission denied errors to files that were previously fine
What to consider when choosing a MacBook Pro SSD
To reap the benefits of an SSD, you need a drive that's up to the task. Here's what to consider: How to format ssd macbook pro.
Read/write speed — SSDs are rated on their reading and writing speed. The higher the speed, the better the performance. Something in the range of 500MB/s and above is good, although actual speed will be about a third less than what's advertised.
Memory — MLC (multi-level cell) and SLC (single-level cell) are the two options available. The former is cheaper and capable of holding more information but the latter is more reliable.
Capacity — Get as much space as you can afford. The greater the capacity of an SSD, the more it will benefit Mac performance.
Reliability Macbook free up space. — Read the reviews. See what the experts and other users say about SSD performance and reliability. Can i upgrade my macbook pro to catalina. You'll typically find that brand name SSDs rank the highest. Samsung, SanDisk, Crucial, KingSpec, and Transcend are standout brands.
How to fit a new MacBook Pro SSD
Okay, let's get down to business. SSD aside, here's what you'll need to fit your new hard drive:
SATA-to-USB cable
Small Phillips screwdriver
Torx T6 screwdriver
Step 1: Format the SSD
To perform a MacBook Pro SSD upgrade you're first going to need to clone your existing hard drive so that the new one runs like clockwork when it's installed.
Before you do this, you should use CleanMyMac X to perform a Smart Cleanup. This will clear your system of any junk files so that they're not transferred over unnecessarily. You can download CleanMyMac X for free, here.
Cloning the hard drive can be done with a tool such as SuperDuper! or Carbon Copy Cleaner, or with Apple's own Disk Utility program. Here's how to do it with the latter:
- Connect the SSD to your Mac using the SATA-to-USB cable.
- Go to Applications > Utilities and open the Disk Utility.
- Click on the SSD icon, followed by the Partition tab and select 'Partition 1' from the Partition Layout.
- Click on Options and select GUID Partition Table in the next window.
- Click on the First Aid tab, followed by Verify Disk Permissions.
- Click Verify Disk, followed by Repair Disk.
- Shutdown your MacBook and restart it, holding the Option key as you do. Choose the option to boot to Recovery Disk.
- Click on Reinstall Mac OS X and choose the SSD as the destination.
- Copy your files over from the installed hard drive to the SSD. When asked to restore files from another disk, choose the currently installed hard drive.
Step 2: Remove the hard drive
Now it's time to get hands-on.
- Make sure your MacBook is shut down.
- Locate and remove the 10 screws using the Phillips screwdriver. Put the screws in a small bowl so that you don't lose any.
- Remove the cover and touch a metal part to release the static electricity.
- Locate the hard drive and remove the plastic bracket securing it. This is held in place with two screws.
- Gently remove the hard drive and disconnect the SATA ribbon. Do this by wiggling the connector. Don't yank on the ribbon.
- Remove the four Torx screws attached to the hard drive and screw the posts into the SSD.
Step 3: Fit the SSD
- Carefully attach the SATA ribbon to the SSD and lower it in place.
- Fix the holding bracket back in place.
- Replace the MacBook cover and screw in the ten tiny screws.
- Switch on your MacBook Pro, go to System Preferences > Startup Disk and make sure the SSD is selected.
- Restart your computer.
See, we told you it was easy!
Enjoy a faster, smoother MacBook Pro
A new SSD drive for your Mac will make an instant impact. Apps will launch faster, files will save quicker, and multitasking will be a much smoother experience. Use CleanMyMac X to regularly remove junk files from your system and you'll enjoy slick performance for many a year to come.
How To Update Your Macbook Pro
CleanMyMac X finds and removes junk files from your MacBook Pro to free up space and keep your system running to its full potential. Make it the first app you install on your new SSD!