The latest macOS version, macOS Catalina, was announced at Apple’s WWDC Conference on June, 3rd 2019 and now it's available for everyone to download. Here’s everything you need to know about the latest Mac operating system.

Launched in October 2019, macOS Catalina is Apple's latest operating system for the Mac lineup. Features include cross-platform app support for third-party apps, no more iTunes, iPad as a second. Discover and play your next game with new browsing features in Apple Arcade. Now you can see what games are popular with your Game Center friends. And easily take your games across iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple TV with the Continue Playing feature.

Will my Mac run macOS Catalina?

According to Apple, the oldest Macs to support macOS Catalina will be the ones from mid 2012. This includes iMacs and even Mac Minis released in late 2012.

Storage Space: 15 GB of free space
Memory: 2 GB RAM
Time: 30-50 minutes installation time
Space issues is the most crucial, though. The 15 GB of storage is a formal requirement but in reality, you’ll need twice as much to prepare the backup. No worries, if you scan your Mac with CleanMyMac X, you can free up tens of gigabytes of space by removing junk files and uninstalling applications. Download CleanMyMac X for free and get your Mac cleaned and ready for macOS Catalina.

How to check your macOS version

To see which version of macOS you have on your Mac, follow the steps:

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Click the Apple menu icon at the top left corner of your screen.
Choose About this Mac.
Check the version in the Overview tab.

How to update your Mac to the latest version

You can download the latest version of the macOS from the App Store. The process is not difficult but requires some preparation. Here's a comprehensive guide on how to upgrade to macOS Catalina.

What are the new features in macOS Catalina?

macOS Catalina — named after California’s Catalina island, in keeping with Apple’s recent tradition of naming new versions of macOS after California landmarks — is a ‘full’ version upgrade. Some classic macOS features have been abandoned, some fully redesigned. No matter how hard you try, you will not find iTunes on Catalina. At the same time, you’ll see a bunch of newcomer tools, namely Music, Podcasts, and Apple TV.

The death of iTunes

Once considered revolutionary, iTunes has been tossed away in favor of Music, Podcasts, and Apple TV . About time, right? These new apps much better fit with music tendencies in 2019. For example, Apple TV is about to rival Netflix, offering hiqh-quality streaming content for $4.99 per month. And you can watch that on any screen rigged up to an Apple device.

Ride your Sidecar

Sidecar is a technology that allows you to use an iPad as a second screen. Who wouldn’t want to double their workspace? No sane video designer would miss such a treat. Your Apple Pencil will come in handy too as you can mark documents and draw on the iPad.

Apple has long been developing something with a code name “Project Catalyst.” Such merging of ecosystems should open the possibility to use iPad apps on Mac. This process is now far from perfect and configuring your iPad apps to run on macOS still requires a lot of clicks. Nevertheless, this is a move in a right direction.

Accessibility

Voice control makes using a Mac completely clickless. macOS Catalina improves dictation and other text instruments, like navigation inside apps.

The Gatekeeper cracks down on privacy

Privacy is a holy cow of our times. Every new macOS system is claimed to be more secure and less prone to hacking. macOS Catalina is not exempt. With its extended Gatekeeper technology your Mac gets doubly suspicious of third-party apps. Apple calls this “notarization” and only those apps that are notarized can flawlessly pass through the installation. For example, CleanMyMac X is an Apple-notarized app, and in contrast to other Mac cleaners, will be installed without a prior warning on Catalina.

Dashboard

When was the last time you used a Dashboard widget? If you can’t remember, you’re not going to miss Dashboard in macOS Catalina. You’ve heard it right: it’s been fully removed in the new macOS. Goodbye, Dashboard, on your lonely way to history, you’ve got iTunes as a company.

64-bit applications

Before macOS Catalina, the 32-bit / 64-bit app distinction was known only to programmers. These numbers represent different types of app architecture. Starting macOS Catalina, 32-bit apps will no longer be supported on Macs. For many users this will be the single reason to avoid it and stay with good ol’ Mojave. Some big name applications, are still yet to be optimized for Catalina and 64-bit.

If you’re still planning to upgrade, there are tools to make the transition less painful. For example, the Mac problem-fixing tool, CleanMyMac X, has an Updater feature. It checks how many 32-bits you have and updates them to newer versions (if such are available).

Download the free version of CleanMyMac X here

What were the previous macOS versions called?

Here’s a list of the most recent versions of macOS and OS X

Name	Year of release	Features
macOS Catalina	2019	iPad apps on Mac a.k.a Sidecar, new Music, and Podcasts apps, Screentime.
macOS Mojave	2018	Dark mode, dynamic wallpaper, redesigned Mac App Store.
macOS High Sierra	2017	APFS,Metal 2, support for HEVC video, improvements to VR
macOS Sierra	2016	Siri on the Mac, iCloud Drive, optimized storage, Universal Clipboard
OS X El Capitan	2015	San Francisco system font, Metal, split screen mode, improved spotlight
OS X Yosemite	2014	Re-designed ‘flat’ interface, Continuity, Handoff, Photos
OS X Mavericks	2013	Improved battery life, iBooks, Maps, Finder tabs, faster Safari

The brief evolution of macOS versions

The latest version of macOS,Catalina, looks set to be even better than the previous macOS, Mojave. There are lots of good reasons to download and install it since it became available in the October, 2019. Lots of staple Mac apps have already been optimized for Catalina. One of them is CleanMyMac X that helps to speed up the system and free it up from excessive junk.

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How to get updates for macOS Mojave or later

If you've upgraded to macOS Mojave or later, follow these steps to keep it up to date:

Choose System Preferences from the Apple menu , then click Software Update to check for updates.
If any updates are available, click the Update Now button to install them. Or click ”More info” to see details about each update and select specific updates to install.
When Software Update says that your Mac is up to date, the installed version of macOS and all of its apps are also up to date. That includes Safari, iTunes, Books, Messages, Mail, Calendar, Photos, and FaceTime.

To find updates for iMovie, Garageband, Pages, Numbers, Keynote, and other apps that were downloaded separately from the App Store, open the App Store on your Mac, then click the Updates tab.

To automatically install macOS updates in the future, including apps that were downloaded separately from the App Store, select ”Automatically keep my Mac up to date.” Your Mac will notify you when updates require it to restart, so you

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