Written by
Connie Yang
Summary: Click the links in this post to download the macOS Catalina 10.15.7 installer, ISO file, and DMG file completely for free. To lower the risk of macOS download failure, use iBoysoft DiskGeeker for Mac to clear up junk files on your Mac and get more available space for the installer.
Typically, you can search for macOS Catalina (10.15) in the Mac App Store, but it returns no result if your Mac with macOS Big Sur or later or if your Mac isn't compatible with macOS 15.
Well, this post offers direct links to download macOS Catalina full installer, macOS Catalina ISO file, and macOS Catalina DMG file. Also, it will guide you on how to create a bootable macOS Catalina USB installer for downgrading your Mac or running Catalina on an incompatible Mac.
Note: It's suggested that you can clean up your Mac before downloading macOS Catalina. That is to reduce the downloading failure resulting from insufficient storage. A clean Mac will optimize the macOS downloading process and system performance. You can manually tidy up your Mac or use iBoysoft DiskGeeker to clean junk files scattered on your Mac with only 3 clicks.
Download macOS Catalina on Mac App Store
If your Mac is compatible with macOS Catalina, you can download it from the App Store on your Mac with the following link. Or else, you'll see the error message "Update not found."
↓ macOS Catalina download (8.26 GB)
Here's the checklist of Macs that support macOS Catalina:
- iMac Pro (2017 & later)
- MacBook (2015 & later)
- Mac Pro (Late 2013 & later)
- MacBook Air (Mid 2012 & later)
- MacBook Pro (Mid 2012 & later)
- iMac (Late 2012 & later)
- Mac Mini (Late 2012 & later)
The download process usually lasts hours and during that time, keep your screen on and your Mac connected to the power source.
When the download finishes, the installer will automatically open. If you don't want to install Catalina on your Mac now, click Install macOS Catalina > Quit Install macOS from the menu bar to quit the installation. When you need the installer, you can find it in the Application folder in Finder.
Tell more people how to download macOS 10.15.
Download macOS Catalina 10.15.7 update
macOS 10.15.7 fixes macOS and Wi-Fi auto-connection failure, iCloud Drive syncing, and iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, 2020) with Radeon Pro 5700 X graphic issues.
If you are running macOS Catalina 10.15.6, you can download the latest macOS Catalina 10.15.7 update with the following link. It reduces a lot of time compared to downloading the full 10.15.7 installer.
↓ macOS Catalina 10.15.7 update download (2.86 GB)
Download macOS Catalina DMG file
If you seek ways to download macOS Catalina without App Store as you want to download it on a Windows machine or fail to do that in App Store, you can download the Catalina DMG file with the offered link below.
↓ macOS Catalina DMG download (10.15.7, 7.21GB, from MediaFire)
Or, you can follow this post to manually create a macOS Catalina DMG file: How to Create a macOS Catalina 10.15 DMG File.
The macOS Catalina DMG file is necessary if you want to run macOS Catalina on a Windows computer or incompatible Mac model. It is used to install on a virtual machine like VirtualBox and VMware to allow you to run macOS 10.15 on unsupported devices. Of course, you can also use it to create a bootable USB or external hard drive.
Download macOS Catalina ISO file
Similar to macOS Catalina DMG file, macOS Catalina ISO file is also frequently used to create a macOS Catalina virtual machine for Windows computer and incompatible Mac and create a bootable USB drive for macOS revert or test.
Simply click the link below to download macOS Catalina ISO file:
↓ macOS Catalina ISO download (10.15.7, 16GB, from Internet Archive)
Create macOS Catalina USB installer
After getting the Catalina installer, you can settle down to create a macOS Catalina USB installer if you need, such as for downgrading from macOS Sonoma to Catalina.
Preparations:
- A USB drive formatted as Mac OS Extended and having over 32GB capacity.
- Check if your Mac that you download the macOS Catalina installer from is an Intel-based one. If not, transfer the installer (in your Applications folder in Finder) to an Intel-powered Mac. That's because macOS 10.15 is designed for Intel processors and only works on Intel-powered Macs.
Creation:
- Connect the clean Mac OS Extended USB drive to your Intel-based Mac.
- Go to Launchpad > Other to open Terminal.
- Enter the command line below. Replace MyVolume to the name of your USB flash drive. sudo /Applications/Install\ macOS\ Catalina.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/MyVolume
- Type in your administrator password and press Enter.
- Enter Y if it warns to erase the USB drive and hit Enter.
- Wait for the process to be done. During the process, keep your Mac connect to the power source and the screen on.
After creating the macOS Catalina bootable USB installer, you can follow this post to boot up a Mac with it: How to Boot Mac from a USB.
Share the step-be-step guide to create Catalina bootable USB with more people.
Download newer macOS
If you need the newer version of macOS Catalina, you can follow these addresses to get the full installer, ISO file, DMG file of corresponding macOS version.
Why macOS Catalina cannot be downloaded and installed on your Mac?
Diverse causes can make you cannot download and install macOS Catalina on your Mac.
1. Your Mac isn't compatible with macOS Catalina
All of the mid 2012 and earlier Mac models don't support macOS Catalina. When you download macOS 10.15 from the App Store, you'll see the hint "Update not found."
You can download macOS Catalina DMG or ISO file with the links offered above.
2. Your Mac is an Apple Silicon Mac
macOS Catalina is specially designed for Intel 64-bit processors and it is the last version for Intel-based Macs. macOS Big Sur is the initial version for Apple's own Apple Silicon chipped Macs.
3. Your Mac doesn't have enough space to store macOS Catalina installer
Your Mac is almost runs out of storage. The sluggish Mac can also lead to macOS Catalina downloading failure.
You can tidy up your Mac and remove redundant and useless files, then you can download macOS Catalina quickly and successfully.
Truly, cleaning up a Mac worked for years is a heavy job. You can use iBoysoft DiskGeeker for Mac to help you clean and optimize your Mac within a few minutes. This disk manager can help you thoroughly delete junk files from your Mac, such as app cache files, system logs, user logs files, trashes, and more.
Here's how:
- Download, install, and open iBoysoft DiskGeeker on your Mac.
- Select your user data volume (macOS - Data or Macintosh HD - Data) from the left sidebar.
- Click "Clean Junk" on the right-side toolbar.
- Select the junk files you unwanted from the scanning results.
- Click "Clean."
4. Your network connection is unstable and poor
Usually, if you fail to download macOS Catalina due to network issues, it will alert you. You can check the network conditions or change to another Wi-Fi.
Also, multiple reasons can lead your Mac fail to install macOS Catalina:
- Your Mac doesn't have sufficient storage space.
- Your Mac isn't compatible with macOS Catalina.
- Your Mac powers off during the installation.
- Your Mac hasn't updated to the latest minor version of the current macOS.
- Your Mac runs macOS Big Sur or later.
If this macOS Catalina download center helps you quickly get Catalina installer, share it with more people.
