Hold down Command+R, and keep holding the keys until your computer reboots. Click on the Apple icon in the upper left corner of the screen. Connect your Mac to the internet via Wi-Fi or Ethernet. If you are downgrading from Sierra to El Capitan, this is the time to erase Sierra. Now is the time to erase the macOS that is currently installed on your computer. But if you’re downgrading from High Sierra, you need Sierra.ĭownload the installer from AppStore, and use the help from DiskMaker X program to create the bootable disk.

If you are downgrading from Sierra to El Capitan, you need a bootable drive of El Capitan handy. Step 2: Create Bootable Drive of the Previous macOS Use external hard drive or cloud-based storage services like Dropbox, OneDrive, or iCloud. Since downgrading will erase the current macOS entirely, including the files, programs, or documents, it’s wise to back up your important files prior to starting the process. So whether you are downgrading from Sierra to El Capitan or from High Sierra to Sierra, or lower, please make a printout or read this discussion on another device so you can do the steps while having the instructions handy. There would be slight differences in details, but they aren’t essential. The steps that we’re about to discuss will be more or less the same even under different macOS. But if you don’t have one, you can use the process described below. The easiest way to downgrade is to use the backup that you have in your Time Machine, and we will discuss it later. How do you downgrade your macOS? And what if you don’t have Time Machine backups to help you? How to Downgrade MacOS in Easy Steps That’s why it’s understandable that some people with older Macs might want to downgrade Sierra to El Capitan, or from High Sierra to Sierra. Who could resist the best OS in the planet for their Macs for free?īut unfortunately, the latest and greatest macOS doesn’t always mean the best for your machine, especially if your machine is old.Įven though your machine is still compatible with the latest macOS High Sierra, the older your Mac is, the more strain from macOS that it has to endure. That’s why the adoption rate of the latest macOS always goes through the roof. Every time Apple releases the latest and greatest macOS, they always come with zero dollar price tag. One of the many perks of Mac users that Windows users would never imagine of getting is free OS upgrade.

Upgrade mac os el capitan to sierra