Why can't you find old macOS versions in the App Store?
Search the Mac App Store for “Mojave” and you'll get nothing, even though Apple still offers it. Here's where old installers actually live and how to reach them.
Open the Mac App Store and search for “macOS Ventura”, “Mojave” or “High Sierra”. You'll get unrelated apps, or nothing at all. The installers are still there. Apple hides them from search and browsing, so the only way in is a direct link.
Hidden on purpose
Apple wants people on the newest macOS it supports, so older installers don't appear in search, charts or your recommendations. Apple's support article How to download and install macOS links straight to them. Each version page on this site uses the same official links.
Three different kinds of “download”
Depending on the version, Apple offers older macOS in very different ways:
- Hidden App Store listings, from High Sierra to Sequoia. They only work if you open the direct link on a Mac.
- Disk images on Apple's servers for Lion, Mountain Lion, Yosemite, El Capitan and Sierra. These download in any browser, even on a PC.
- No listing at all for Tahoe and Golden Gate. You get these through Software Update or the Terminal.
Why the Get button is greyed out
If the App Store page opens but Get is dimmed, your Mac can't run that version. That's either because it's too old, or because it shipped with something newer. Macs can't go back further than the version they came with. Check your model in the Mac lookup to see the range it supports.
If your Mac is too old for the version you need, a used Mac is often the cheapest fix. Our guide to buying a used Mac covers what to check and where to buy.
The quickest route on a modern Mac
On macOS Catalina or later, Terminal can list and download every installer Apple offers your Mac:
softwareupdate --list-full-installersOur Terminal guide covers the rest.
And Mavericks?
OS X Mavericks is the odd one out. It isn't offered as a public download at all. If your Apple Account downloaded it in 2013 or 2014, it may still be under App Store › Purchased. Otherwise, use El Capitan, which runs on every Mac that ran Mavericks.