You might have issues with discreet GPU switching, which means that some Mac models won’t be able to use their more powerful graphics chips after the update.

A note in the Patched Sur readme states: “If you have anything older than a 2012/2013 Mac, it’ll be terrible.” The main one is performance, since many models were excluded for this reason. While installing the latest version of macOS will improve your support in terms of software updates, macOS features, and so on, there are drawbacks, too. To learn more, check out the macOS Monterey on Unsupported Macs thread over on the MacRumors forums. The most promising project for the latest release is the OpenCore Legacy Patcher, which also supports Big Sur. You can then update macOS using Patched Sur by running the “post-install” app that’s included with each release.Īt the time of writing in June 2021, macOS Monterey isn’t even in public beta, so nothing like Patched Sur exists for it yet. You can use the app to evaluate whether your Mac is suitable, download the right version of macOS, configure a USB drive, and create your install medium.

These tweaks required that you download the right version of macOS, format a USB stick, and create your own install medium that ignored Apple’s restrictions on eligible models.įor macOS Big Sur, Patched Sur makes the process much easier. This really got started with dosdude1’s Mojave Patcher and Catalina Patcher in 20, respectively. If a new version of macOS might make performance significantly worse, Apple could decide to drop support for that model.īut what if the internet knows better? This appears to be what many have concluded with the rise of macOS “patcher” apps that make it possible to install unsupported versions of macOS on your old Apple hardware. Option 2: Install an Unsupported macOS Release AnywayĪpple doesn’t share why it decides to exclude a Mac from a major release, but performance likely plays a big part in the decision. If you’re determined to keep using your Mac at this stage, we’d recommend a third-party browser like Firefox, Chrome, or Edge. This might result in web pages not rendering correctly or in web apps that refuse to work. If you use Safari, keep in mind that your browser will stop receiving updates outside of security fixes. This could result in apps that you’ve purchased via the Mac App Store not updating or working at all. Some apps could require a newer version of macOS, just as iPhone and iPad apps require a minimum version of iOS. As time goes on, you might start to lose software support, too.

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