If you are looking for how to download macOS Monterey without the App Store, follow this article. It offers direct links to download the macOS Monterey full installer, macOS Monterey DMG file, and macOS Monterey ISO file. Also, it will show you how to create a bootable USB installer.
🔔 Reminder: The latest macOS is macOS Golden Gate. Get its beta version from: macOS Golden Gate Beta Download.
Need macOS 26? Follow: macOS Tahoe Download.
Which way should you use to download macOS Monterey?
| Your Goal | Best Installer Format | Best Way to Download |
| Upgrade or reinstall a compatible Mac | .app | App Store |
| Download a specific full installer | .pkg | Terminal or direct links from swcdn.apple.com |
| Create a bootable USB installer on Mac | .app or .dmg | App Store or iBoysoft DiskGeeker |
| Install macOS Monterey in VirtualBox or VMware | .iso | Convert from a DMG file |
| Download macOS Monterey or create a Monterey USB installer on Windows | .iso | Convert from a DMG file |
| Install macOS Monterey on an unsupported Mac | .iso | Convert from a DMG file |
What should you know before you download macOS Monterey?
Before downloading macOS Monterey, check these points:
- Confirm that the target Mac supports macOS Monterey
- Apple lists macOS Monterey 12.7.6 as the latest Monterey release
- Keep enough free space for both the installer and installation process
- Prefer Apple-hosted sources whenever possible
- Treat MediaFire, Mega, Google Drive, Archive.org, and other mirrors as third-party sources
- Verify the exact version, file size, checksum, and source before running an installer downloaded from a third-party source
macOS Monterey compatible Mac models:
- MacBook Pro (2015 or later)
- MacBook Air (2015 or later)
- MacBook (2016 or later)
- Mac mini (2014 or later)
- iMac (late 2015 or later)
- iMac Pro (2017 or later)
- Mac Studio (2022)
- Mac Pro ( late 2013 or later)
If your Mac is not compatible with macOS Monterey, downloading the installer does not mean you can install it normally. Follow the unsupported Mac guide instead: Download macOS on Unsupported Macs.
Download macOS Monterey 12.7.6 from the App Store
Downloading macOS Monterey 12 from the App Store is the most common way to get the installer.
You can download the macOS Monterey installer from the App Store only if your Mac is compatible with it. Or else, you'll fail and receive the error "Update not found."
So, check the list of macOS Monterey compatibility above first.
To download macOS Monterey from the App Store, simply click the link below to redirect to the macOS Monterey download interface in the App Store.
Commonly, the macOS Monterey installer will automatically open after downloading. If you don't want to install Monterey on your Mac right now, don't follow the on-screen guide to finish the installation.
You can stop the installation by clicking Install macOS Monterey on the menu bar, then select Quit Install macOS > Quit to close the installer. The installer remains in the Applications folder in Finder.
Do you need installers for other macOS versions? Follow: download the macOS installer.
Download macOS Monterey without the App Store
If you fail to download macOS Monterey from App Store, you can get the installer with the following methods.
Way 1. Download with Apple-hosted InstallAssistant.pkg links
Some macOS Monterey full installers are distributed as InstallAssistant.pkg files from Apple-hosted CDN servers. After you open the package, it places Install macOS Monterey.app in the Applications folder.
If you need to download macOS Monterey on an incompatible Mac, on a Windows PC, to create a macOS Monterey DMG file or ISO file, or to a USB, click the links below to download the macOS Monterey PKG file.
macOS Monterey download (Apple-hosted InstallAssistant.pkg options):
| Download | Version | Size | Source | Release Date |
| InstallAssistant.pkg | 12.7.6 | 11.6 GB | swcdn.apple.com | Feb. 6, 2026 |
| InstallAssistant.pkg | 12.7.6 | 11.6 GB | swcdn.apple.com | Jul. 17, 2024 |
| InstallAssistant.pkg | 12.7.4 | 11.6 GB | swcdn.apple.com | Mar. 7, 2024 |
However, Apple CDN links can become restricted, region-dependent, or removed.
If an Apple CDN link returns 403 Forbidden or 404 Not Found, do not keep it as an active download button. Use the Terminal or a newly verified Apple-hosted package instead.
Way 2. Download macOS Monterey with Terminal
First, open Terminal and enter the following command to list the full installers currently available to your Mac:
softwareupdate --list-full-installers
If macOS Monterey 12.7.6 appears in the list, download it with:
softwareupdate --fetch-full-installer --full-installer-version 12.7.6
When the download is complete, check the Applications folder for: Install macOS Monterey.app
If Terminal returns "Install failed," "Update not found," or does not list Monterey, try the other methods, use another compatible Mac, or check whether Apple still offers that full installer to your device.
Download the macOS Monterey DMG file
A macOS Monterey DMG file may be useful when you want to create a bootable macOS Monterey USB, keep an offline image, or use a Mac-based graphical tool.
Apple does not usually provide macOS Monterey as a standalone public DMG download. A DMG may be:
- Created from Apple's full installer
- Or provided by a third-party mirror
Download macOS Monterey DMG with iBoysoft DiskGeeker
For security, you can use iBoysoft DiskGeeker to get the macOS Monterey DMG. This tool is dedicated to download the DMG files of different macOS versions and also supports creating a bootable USB installer with a few clicks.
- Download, install, and open iBoysoft DiskGeeker on your Mac.
- Click Download Image on the sidebar.
- Click Get next to macOS Monterey, choose where to save the Monterey DMG file, and wait for a moment to let it finish downloading.
Download the macOS Monterey ISO file
If you would like to run macOS Monterey on a virtual machine like VMware or VirtualBox on a Mac or PC, you need the macOS Monterey ISO file.
Apple does not provide an official standalone Monterey ISO for general download. The safer approach is to download the Monterey full installer from Apple first, and then create an ISO yourself.
Here's the guide to create a macOS Monterey ISO file:
How to Create a macOS Monterey ISO
If you prefer a direct download, follow:
⇩ macOS ISO download link (Source: Internet Archive, File Size: 12.7GB)
If you choose to use a third-party ISO mirror, check:
- Who uploaded the file
- Which Monterey version it contains
- Whether the file size matches the claimed version
- Whether a SHA-256 or other checksum is provided
- When the file was last verified
If you want to run Monterey on Windows, you may also need: download macOS for Windows.
How to create a macOS Monterey bootable USB installer?
If you want to boot your Mac from a USB, you can go about creating a macOS Monterey bootable USB installer in one of the following ways.
Create a macOS Monterey bootable USB installer without using Terminal
We have to remind you that the traditional way to create a bootable USB installer for macOS Monterey is error-prone, time-wasting, and complex. Alternatively, using a professional tool is better for tech newbies.
You can use iBoysoft DiskGeeker to help you create a bootable Monterey installer without running commands in Terminal.
- Free download, install, and open iBoysoft DiskGeeker.
- Connect a USB drive to your Mac. Back up data on the drive in advance.
- Select a volume on the USB drive and click Select > Continue.
- Select macOS Monterey, click Create boot disk > OK, and wait for the download process to end.
- Click OK on the pop-up to start macOS Monterey bootable installer creation.
Create a macOS Monterey bootable USB installer using Terminal
If you are a tech expert and have ample time, follow the steps below to make a bootable installer for macOS Monterey with Terminal.
To begin with:
- Prepare a bootable Mac. If you will use the Monterey bootable USB on an Apple Silicon Mac, prepare an Apple Silicon Mac.
- Prepare a USB drive with at least 16GB of available storage (32GB recommended). Format it as Mac OS Extended (Journaled) using the GUID Partition Map scheme before creating the installer.
Now, you can start making a macOS Monterey bootable USB installer:
- Connect the USB to the Mac.
- Open Terminal from Launchpad > Other.
- Enter the following command into Terminal. Replace MyVolume with the USB's name. sudo /Applications/Install\ macOS\ Monterey.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/MyVolume
- Hit Return and enter your admin password.
- Wait until the process ends.
Then, you can boot the target Mac from the USB.
Why can't your Mac download macOS Monterey
There are multiple prerequisites for a successful macOS Monterey download. If you can't download macOS Monterey on your Mac, the possible reasons and fixes are below.
1. Your Mac is not compatible with macOS Monterey
If your Mac doesn't support macOS Monterey, you'll receive the "Update not found" error when you download macOS Monterey from the App Store.
You can switch to download macOS Monterey on a compatible Mac or click the direct macOS Monterey download links offered above.
2. The network connection is unstable or off on your Mac
macOS Monterey download process usually won't cost over 3 hours. If you get stuck on macOS Monterey downloading, reconnect the Wi-Fi, turn the Wi-Fi off and then on, or even restart the Router.
3. Insufficient free space on your Mac
Your Mac almost runs out of free space and becomes sluggish. So, about a dozen GB of the macOS Monterey installer can't be successfully downloaded. You can check the storage usage in the Apple menu > System Settings > General.
If that's the case, clean up the outdated downloads, duplicate files, useless videos, etc. However, clearing up a Mac is a time-consuming task, and your Mac will soon accumulate a lot of useless files again after a period of time of usage.
So, why not use a Mac cleaner to help you do routine Mac cleaning work? iBoysoft DiskGeeker is a disk management tool that has the Mac optimizer feature. It can help you search for junk files within a minute for one-click removal, such as the user cache files, system logs, trash, temporary files, application caches, etc.
Here's how:
- Download, install, and launch iBoysoft DiskGeeker on your Mac.
- Wait for the tool to search for junk files on your Mac, and then it will return the results.
- Choose your unwanted files and click Clean to permanently delete them from your Mac.
If this post helps you download the macOS Monterey installer, share it with more people.
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FAQs
- Q What is the latest version of macOS Monterey?
-
A
The latest macOS Monterey release listed by Apple is macOS Monterey 12.7.6.
- QCan I still download macOS Monterey from Apple?
-
A
Yes, Apple still provides macOS Monterey through the Mac App Store. On compatible Macs, you may also be able to fetch the full installer with Terminal.
- QDoes Apple provide a macOS Monterey DMG or ISO?
-
A
Apple provides the Monterey installer through the App Store, Software Update, and Apple-hosted installer packages. Apple does not provide a general standalone Monterey ISO download. DMG and ISO files are usually created from the full installer or provided by third-party sources.
- QCan I download macOS Monterey on Windows?
-
A
You cannot run Apple’s Install macOS Monterey.app or InstallAssistant.pkg directly on Windows. If you need macOS files on a Windows PC, follow a Windows-specific macOS image or bootable USB workflow.
- QCan I install Monterey on an unsupported Mac?
-
A
Not through the normal Apple installer path. Downloading Monterey does not bypass hardware compatibility. Use an unsupported Mac guide if you understand the risks.
- QDo I need the internet to use a Monterey bootable USB?
-
A
Yes, the target Mac may need an internet connection to get firmware and model-specific information during installation.
- QHow do I verify a third-party Monterey DMG or ISO?
-
A
Check the file source, version, file size, checksum, and last verified date. Avoid mirrors that do not provide basic file evidence.