If you regularly put off updates, now’s the time to let them complete so you have Big Sur-compatible versions.Ĭlear space: Big Sur needs a minimum of 35.5 GB to upgrade, and as of macOS 11.2.1, the installer won’t proceed unless there’s enough space. Update apps: Make sure all your apps are as up-to-date as possible.

Once you’ve decided to upgrade to Big Sur, you have three main tasks: If you rely on one of these apps for critical backups, make sure you know what you’re getting into before upgrading or reassess your backup strategy. Carbon Copy Cloner and ChronoSync have developed workarounds SuperDuper remains incompatible at this point, although an older version can create data-only backups. Unfortunately, that also makes creating a bootable duplicate difficult. Catalina moved macOS to its own read-only volume, and Big Sur goes a step further by applying cryptographic signatures that make it even harder for an attacker to compromise the operating system. The other app category that continues to have trouble with Big Sur are backup apps that make bootable duplicates. You may be able to learn more at RoaringApps, but those who haven’t yet upgraded past 10.14 Mojave may have to upgrade or replace 32-bit apps that ceased working starting with 10.15 Catalina. Most software under steady development will have been updated for Big Sur by now, but some workflows rely on older versions of apps where an upgrade isn’t practical or possible (ancient versions of Adobe Creative Suite, for instance), or on obsolete apps that will never be updated. Some people should continue to delay upgrades to Big Sur due to software incompatibilities. However, there are still a few caveats, and preparation is essential. We’re not saying that everyone needs to upgrade to macOS 11 Big Sur now, but if you want to, it should be safe now that Apple has released several bug-fix updates. Upgrading is not an if question it’s a when question. At the same time, it’s important to stay in sight of the cutting edge for security reasons and to take advantage of advances from Apple and other developers. Apple makes the upgrade process easy-though it can be time-consuming-but upgrading can create workflow interruptions, render favorite apps inoperable, and have other consequences.

We’re cautious when it comes to recommending upgrades to new versions of macOS.

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