Aug 06, 2021 On each app’s product page, users can learn about some of the data types an app may collect, and whether that data is linked to them or used to track them. To download Mac OS X El Capitan from the App Store, follow the link: Download OS X El Capitan. On the El Capitan, click the Download button.
So, you’ve decided to download an older version of Mac OS X. There are many reasons that could point you to this radical decision. To begin with, some of your apps may not be working properly (or simply crash) on newer operating systems. Also, you may have noticed your Mac’s performance went down right after the last update. Finally, if you want to run a parallel copy of Mac OS X on a virtual machine, you too will need a working installation file of an older Mac OS X. Further down we’ll explain where to get one and what problems you may face down the road.
- Availability of in-store promotion offerings may be limited by Apple Store location closures as a result of COVID-19. Additional restrictions apply. View full terms and conditions of offer here. Purchase must be made on apple.com, through the Apple Store app, or at an Apple Store in the U.S. Limited to the first 100,000 transactions.
- To create a bootable El Capitan installer drive, you need the El Capitan installer from the Mac App Store and a Mac-formatted drive that’s big enough to hold the installer and all its data.
A list of all Mac OS X versions
We’ll be repeatedly referring to these Apple OS versions below, so it’s good to know the basic macOS timeline.
Cheetah 10.0 | Puma 10.1 | Jaguar 10.2 |
Panther 10.3 | Tiger 10.4 | Leopard 10.5 |
Snow Leopard 10.6 | Lion 10.7 | Mountain Lion 10.8 |
Mavericks 10.9 | Yosemite 10.10 | El Capitan 10.11 |
Sierra 10.12 | High Sierra 10.13 | Mojave 10.14 |
Catalina 10.15 |
STEP 1. Prepare your Mac for installation
Given your Mac isn’t new and is filled with data, you will probably need enough free space on your Mac. This includes not just space for the OS itself but also space for other applications and your user data. One more argument is that the free space on your disk translates into virtual memory so your apps have “fuel” to operate on. The chart below tells you how much free space is needed.
Note, that it is recommended that you install OS on a clean drive. Next, you will need enough disk space available, for example, to create Recovery Partition. Here are some ideas to free up space on your drive:
- Uninstall large unused apps
- Empty Trash Bin and Downloads
- Locate the biggest files on your computer:
Go to Finder > All My Files > Arrange by size
Then you can move your space hoggers onto an external drive or a cloud storage.
If you aren’t comfortable with cleaning the Mac manually, there are some nice automatic “room cleaners”. Our favorite is CleanMyMac as it’s most simple to use of all. It deletes system junk, old broken apps, and the rest of hidden junk on your drive.
Download CleanMyMac for OS 10.4 - 10.8 (free version)
Download CleanMyMac for OS 10.9 (free version)
Download CleanMyMac for OS 10.10 - 10.14 (free version)
STEP 2. Get a copy of Mac OS X download
Normally, it is assumed that updating OS is a one-way road. That’s why going back to a past Apple OS version is problematic. The main challenge is to download the OS installation file itself, because your Mac may already be running a newer version. If you succeed in downloading the OS installation, your next step is to create a bootable USB or DVD and then reinstall the OS on your computer.
How to download older Mac OS X versions via the App Store
If you once had purchased an old version of Mac OS X from the App Store, open it and go to the Purchased tab. There you’ll find all the installers you can download. However, it doesn’t always work that way. The purchased section lists only those operating systems that you had downloaded in the past. But here is the path to check it:
- Click the App Store icon.
- Click Purchases in the top menu.
- Scroll down to find the preferred OS X version.
- Click Download.
This method allows you to download Mavericks and Yosemite by logging with your Apple ID — only if you previously downloaded them from the Mac App Store.
Without App Store: Download Mac OS version as Apple Developer
If you are signed with an Apple Developer account, you can get access to products that are no longer listed on the App Store. If you desperately need a lower OS X version build, consider creating a new Developer account among other options. The membership cost is $99/year and provides a bunch of perks unavailable to ordinary users.
Nevertheless, keep in mind that if you visit developer.apple.com/downloads, you can only find 10.3-10.6 OS X operating systems there. Newer versions are not available because starting Mac OS X Snow Leopard 10.7, the App Store has become the only source of updating Apple OS versions.
Purchase an older version of Mac operating system
You can purchase a boxed or email version of past Mac OS X directly from Apple. Both will cost you around $20. For the reason of being rather antiquated, Snow Leopard and earlier Apple versions can only be installed from DVD.
Buy a boxed edition of Snow Leopard 10.6
Get an email copy of Lion 10.7
Get an email copy of Mountain Lion 10.8
The email edition comes with a special download code you can use for the Mac App Store. Note, that to install the Lion or Mountain Lion, your Mac needs to be running Snow Leopard so you can install the newer OS on top of it.
How to get macOS El Capitan download
If you are wondering if you can run El Capitan on an older Mac, rejoice as it’s possible too. But before your Mac can run El Capitan it has to be updated to OS X 10.6.8. So, here are main steps you should take:
1. Install Snow Leopard from install DVD.
2. Update to 10.6.8 using Software Update.
3. Download El Capitan here.
“I can’t download an old version of Mac OS X”
If you have a newer Mac, there is no physical option to install Mac OS versions older than your current Mac model. For instance, if your MacBook was released in 2014, don’t expect it to run any OS released prior of that time, because older Apple OS versions simply do not include hardware drivers for your Mac.
But as it often happens, workarounds are possible. There is still a chance to download the installation file if you have an access to a Mac (or virtual machine) running that operating system. For example, to get an installer for Lion, you may ask a friend who has Lion-operated Mac or, once again, set up a virtual machine running Lion. Then you will need to prepare an external drive to download the installation file using OS X Utilities.
After you’ve completed the download, the installer should launch automatically, but you can click Cancel and copy the file you need. Below is the detailed instruction how to do it.
STEP 3. Install older OS X onto an external drive
The following method allows you to download Mac OS X Lion, Mountain Lion, and Mavericks.
- Start your Mac holding down Command + R.
- Prepare a clean external drive (at least 10 GB of storage).
- Within OS X Utilities, choose Reinstall OS X.
- Select external drive as a source.
- Enter your Apple ID.
Now the OS should start downloading automatically onto the external drive. After the download is complete, your Mac will prompt you to do a restart, but at this point, you should completely shut it down. Now that the installation file is “captured” onto your external drive, you can reinstall the OS, this time running the file on your Mac.
- Boot your Mac from your standard drive.
- Connect the external drive.
- Go to external drive > OS X Install Data.
Locate InstallESD.dmg disk image file — this is the file you need to reinstall Lion OS X. The same steps are valid for Mountain Lion and Mavericks.
How to downgrade a Mac running later macOS versions
If your Mac runs macOS Sierra 10.12 or macOS High Sierra 10.13, it is possible to revert it to the previous system if you are not satisfied with the experience. You can do it either with Time Machine or by creating a bootable USB or external drive.
Instruction to downgrade from macOS Sierra
Instruction to downgrade from macOS High Sierra
Instruction to downgrade from macOS Mojave
Instruction to downgrade from macOS Catalina
Before you do it, the best advice is to back your Mac up so your most important files stay intact. In addition to that, it makes sense to clean up your Mac from old system junk files and application leftovers. The easiest way to do it is to run CleanMyMac X on your machine (download it for free here).
Visit your local Apple Store to download older OS X version
If none of the options to get older OS X worked, pay a visit to nearest local Apple Store. They should have image installations going back to OS Leopard and earlier. You can also ask their assistance to create a bootable USB drive with the installation file. So here you are. We hope this article has helped you to download an old version of Mac OS X. Below are a few more links you may find interesting.
OS X El Capitan gives you simpler, smarter ways to do the things you do most with your Mac. Like working in multiple apps at the same time using Split View. Searching for information with an even more helpful Spotlight. Keeping your favorite websites handy with Pinned Sites. Managing your email with full-screen view and swipe gestures. And turning notes into useful checklists. Improvements under the hood make your Mac snappier and more efficient for all kinds of everyday tasks — from opening PDFs to loading your email. And with Metal for Mac, you get faster and more fluid graphics performance in games and high-performance apps.
Split View
Give two apps your undivided attention.
Running lots of apps at the same time is one of the great things about using a Mac. Focusing on just one app in full-screen view is another. With Split View, you get the best of both. It automatically fills your screen with the two apps you choose. So you can make dinner plans with a friend in Messages while finding the restaurant in Maps. Or work on a document in Pages while doing your research in Safari. All without the distraction of your other open apps, and without having to manually resize and drag windows around. And your desktop is always just a swipe away, so it’s easy to get back to everything else you were doing.
Mission Control
You’ve never been so good atspace management.
A streamlined Mission Control makes it easier to see and organize everything you have open on your Mac. With a single swipe, all the windows on your desktop arrange themselves in a single layer, with nothing stacked or hidden. Mission Control places your windows in the same relative location, so you can spot the one you’re looking for more quickly. And when you have lots of windows competing for screen space, it’s even easier to make more room for them. Just drag any window to the top of your screen and drop it into a new desktop space. It’s never been this easy to spread out your work.
Call out your cursor.
Lost your cursor on your crowded desktop? Just shake your finger back and forth on the trackpad or give your mouse a shake, and the pointer gets bigger so it’s easy to spot.
Spotlight
Even more versatile. And helpful.
Spotlight gets even smarter in El Capitan, delivering results for weather, sports, stocks, web video, and transit information. And now you can ask Spotlight to find a file using natural language — so when you’re looking for the presentation you created last Friday, just type “presentation I made on Friday.”1 Spotlight is also more flexible: You can resize its window to see more results and move it anywhere on your desktop.
Ask in your own words.
Searching for files has never been easier now that Spotlight understands natural language.1 For example, type “email from Harrison in April” and Spotlight shows you email messages that match. You can also use more complex searches, like “spreadsheet I worked on yesterday that contains budget,” and you’ll get just what you’re looking for. You can search with your own words in Mail and the Finder, too.
Look what just landed in your inbox.
Improved full-screen support and swipe gestures in Mail let you make quick work of your correspondence. OS X also helps you manage your calendar right from your inbox.
Work more easily in full screen.
The enhanced full-screen view in Mail lets you juggle all your email conversations at the same time. The email message you’re composing slides to the bottom of the screen, so you can access your inbox — perfect for copying text or attachments between messages. And if you’re managing multiple email threads, you can switch between them with easy-to-use tabs.
Add suggested events.
When you receive an email containing details for an event like a flight or a dinner reservation, you can add it to Calendar with just a click.1
Swipe to manage your inbox.
Now you can take care of your email with a swipe, just like on your iOS devices. Need to triage your inbox? Swipe right to mark an email as read or unread, or swipe left to delete. You’ll be focused on what’s important in no time.
Notes
Collect more than just your thoughts.
The powerful new Notes app is more than a great way to jot down a quick thought and keep track of it for later. Now you can turn a list into a checklist in a snap. Or easily add a photo, video, web link or map location to a note. And thanks to iCloud, all your notes and everything in them are kept up to date across all your devices. So you can create a note on your Mac and look at it on your iPhone when you’re out and about.
Add all kinds of content.
Notes easily handles almost any type of file you’d like to include. Save documents, web links, photos, map locations, PDFs, videos and more to a note with a simple drag and drop.
Save content from other apps.
Planning a trip? Save a hotel website to a note right from Safari, or a restaurant address from Maps. You can save content to Notes from many other apps as well. Just click the Share button in an app to save items to existing notes or create new ones.
Create useful checklists with a click.
Now it’s easy to create checklists in Notes. With a single click, you can create an interactive to-do list, grocery list or wish list. Then check off items as you complete them.
Use the Attachments Browser to see everything in one place.
All the attachments you’ve added to your notes are organized in one simple view: the new Attachments Browser. You can sort through photos, videos, map locations and web links without having to remember which note you put them in.
Your notes. On all your devices.
Notes works with iCloud, so your notes are up to date and with you no matter what device you’re using. Make a checklist on your Mac, and you’ll have it on your iPhone when you’re out on the go. Check an item off the list on your iPhone, and it’s checked off on your Mac. Take a picture on your iPhone, add it to a note, and it will be synced to all your devices. Any changes you make to a note on one device instantly appear on your other devices.
Photos
More things to do, places to go and people to see.
Give your photos a more personal touch with third-party editing tools. And with enhanced organization capabilities, support for the new Live Photos format and faster performance, the Photos app gets even better.
New editing extensions let you go further with your photos.
OS X El Capitan supports third-party tools that will be available from the Mac App Store and accessible right in the Photos app. Use multiple editing extensions from your favourite developers on a single photo, or use a mix of extensions and the editing tools built into Photos. From adding subtle filters to professional-quality noise reduction, you can take your photo editing to a whole new level.
Everything in its place.
Photos has been fine-tuned to make it even easier to manage your library. Now you can add a location to a single image or a group of photos. You can batch change photo titles, descriptions and keywords. Naming your favourite people in Faces is faster with a streamlined workflow. You can also sort your albums — and the contents inside them — by date, title and more.
Safari
The smartest way to surf.
With new tools built in.
With OS X El Capitan, the best browser for your Mac brings new tools for better surfing. Now Safari lets you keep favourite websites open and accessible with Pinned Sites. You can quickly mute audio without hunting for the tab it’s coming from. And use AirPlay to stream video from a web page to your HDTV.
Pinned Sites keep your favourite websites handy.
Keep websites you visit often — like your webmail, Facebook page or Twitter feed — open, up to date and easily accessible by pinning them. They’ll stay active in the background, and they’ll stay put on the left side of your tab bar.
Use AirPlay to share web video without sharing your whole screen.
Play video from a web page to your TV with Apple TV — without showing everything else on your desktop. Just click the AirPlay icon that appears on compatible web videos and you can watch your video on the big screen.
Easily tune out a tab.
Want to stop the music without hunting for the tab it’s coming from? Now you can mute it right from the Smart Search field. If you’re listening to audio in one tab and another website starts to play, you can mute the one you don’t want to hear. And if what you really want is silence, you can mute all audio from your browser, too.
Maps
Now arriving. Public transit info.
If you get around by train or bus, you can now get around more easily in select cities around the world thanks to Maps. You’ll find everything you need to go from point A to point B, including built-in public transportation maps, directions and schedules.
Mass appeal.
Choose a destination in Transit view and Maps offers you the best routes, with detailed walking, subway, train, bus and ferry directions. See routes for complex trips, such as linking a bus ride to a subway ride via a two-block walk. You can also plan your trip according to when you want to leave or when you need to arrive.
Get directions on your Mac.
Read them on the go.
Plan your route on your Mac, then send it to your iPhone with just a few clicks for stop-by-stop directions when you’re out and about.
Fonts
A distinctly modern take on type.
OS X El Capitan introduces new fonts that look crisp and beautiful on your Mac and in your documents — a modern, space-efficient system font called San Francisco, a new Chinese font called PingFang with thousands of redesigned characters and six new line weights, and four new Japanese fonts that offer even more choices for everything from presentations to email.
San Francisco
Designed from the ground up for use on all Apple devices, San Francisco has been fine-tuned for optimal readability on a Mac, and looks particularly crisp and refined on a Retina display. The new San Francisco system font optimizes legibility with size-specific letter shapes and dynamic character spacing. You’ll feel its subtle effect in the things you do every day.
Distinct characters
Similar characters like a capital I, lowercase L, and the number 1 are now more easily distinguished.
Dynamic spacing
Spacing between letters and words shifts depending on the font size, which helps readability.
PingFang
Enhanced readability.
The new Chinese system font PingFang was designed specifically for digital displays, delivering unmatched legibility in both Simplified and Traditional Chinese.
More variety.
PingFang is available in six weights from ultralight to semibold. The different weights give you flexibility for headlines, captions and more.
Japanese Fonts
YuMincho +36p Kana
Tsukushi B Round Gothic
New document fonts.
OS X El Capitan includes four new Japanese fonts, each available in two weights, that add personality to your documents and presentations.
Hiragino Sans
Enhanced Hiragino Sans.
Hiragino Sans, the Japanese system font for OS X, now offers a full set of ten line weights for use in documents.
Input Methods
Mac becomes even more fluent.
Now it’s easier to write Chinese and Japanese text on your Mac.
Chinese
Advanced keyboard input.
Thanks to advanced learning capabilities that quickly memorize your word choices, using the keyboard to input Chinese has never been simpler or faster. Vocabulary lists are frequently updated so you can use the latest words and phrases, and a smarter candidate window displays more character selections.
Improved trackpad handwriting.
Enter characters on the trackpad as swiftly and accurately as you do on paper — just by using your finger. A new Trackpad window reflects the proportions of your physical trackpad, gives you more room to write and lets you write multiple characters in a row.
Japanese
Live conversion for keyboard input.
Mac App Store Update For Os X El Capitan
OS X El Capitan dramatically improves the ease and speed of entering Japanese text. With an enhanced vocabulary and improved language engine, it automatically transforms Hiragana into written Japanese as you type — eliminating the need to press the space bar for individual word conversions.