# How to Prepare to Upgrade to macOS 27 Golden Gate? ## What should I do before upgrading to macOS 27? Quick Answer: 1. Check your Mac model 2. Back up your Mac 3. Free up Mac space 4. Update current OS and apps 5. Confirm your password and recovery info 6. Update under safe conditions Use[iBoysoft Cleaner](https://iboysoft.com/mac-cleaner.html)to clean up system junk, delete large files, uninstall unused apps, remove duplicated files/photos, etc., to free up a whopping 20\+ GB of storage space for the macOS upgrade. ![Prepare Mac to upgrade to macOS 27 Golden Gate](https://iboysoft.com/images/en-howto/prepare-to-upgrade-to-macos-27/summary-prepare-mac-to-upgrade-to-macos-27.jpg) The new[Mac operating system](https://iboysoft.com/wiki/macos.html)\- macOS 27 Golden Gate is eventually here\! Its features and main performance have been greatly improved. That's why many Mac users can't wait to upgrade to macOS 27 Golden Gate \([download macOS Golden Gate Beta](https://iboysoft.com/howto/macos-golden-gate-beta-download.html)\). Before you proceed, there are some preparations needed on your Mac. Check below if you lack such experience. ## Confirm Your Mac is Eligible Apple macOS 27 drops support for all Intel\-based Macs this time. Make sure the Mac you're about to upgrade is running on an Apple Silicon Mac \(M1, M2, M3, M4, M5, or newer series\) to install the Golden Gate operating system. Check your chip by clicking the Apple menu  \> About This Mac, or check the macOS 27 compatibility list below: - MacBook Neo 2026 - MacBook Air with Apple silicon, 2020\+ - MacBook Pro with Apple silicon, 2020\+ - iMac with Apple silicon, 2021\+ - Mac mini with Apple silicon, 2020\+ - Mac Studio, 2022\+ - Mac Pro with Apple silicon, 2023 If your Mac model is excluded from macOS 27, you can[create a macOS 27 bootable USB installer](https://iboysoft.com/howto/create-macos-27-beta-bootable-usb-installer.html)to upgrade to macOS 27 on your unsupported Mac. Then, you can still experience certain features of macOS 27 Golden Gate. Note that you cannot get all the highlights of macOS Golden Gate on an unsupported Mac model. ## Make Mac Backups Accident is anywhere, anytime. Irrespective of which way you use for the macOS 27 upgrade, there is a high likelihood of causing file data loss during the macOS Golden Gate upgrade. Thus, it's always better to “have a backup" than "need a backup". ### 1. Time Machine To back up your Mac,[Time Machine](https://iboysoft.com/wiki/what-is-time-machine-mac.html)is a solid option. Prepare an external drive with at least twice the storage capacity of your Mac, and Time Machine can back up your files, apps, music, photos, Email, archives, and documents. Check here to see[how to back up a Mac using Time Machine](https://iboysoft.com/howto/backup-restore-time-machine.html). If you have sufficient time, the best practice is to have two backups before a major macOS upgrade. Add a double layer of protection to your data \- a Time Machine backup, plus a cloud backup/whole disk clone. ### 2. Cloud Service As for cloud services, iCloud Drive,[OneDrive](https://iboysoft.com/wiki/onedrive-for-mac.html), Google Drive, and Dropbox are all available for you. Yet, all of them are required to subscribe to their paid plans for larger space. If you need to save the Mac backup for the long term, a whole disk clone has higher cost\-effectiveness. ### 3. Hard Drive Clone Connect your external hard drive, and you can[clone the whole hard drive](https://iboysoft.com/howto/clone-mac-hard-drive.html), including the OS, system settings, root files, user preferences, etc., as a backup by means of[iBoysoft DiskGeeker for Mac](https://iboysoft.com/disk-utility/). Meanwhile, it also supports you in cloning a single partition if you just need a partial backup. With its "Create Boot Disk" feature, you're capable of creating a macOS 27 bootable installer and upgrading to macOS 27 on an Intel Mac for an incomplete macOS Golden Gate experience. ## Clean up Mac Storage Apple specifically lists insufficient storage as a common macOS update failure cause. The macOS 27 Golden Gate beta version is 16.99 GB in size. You need to prepare at least 20GB free space for this macOS 27 major upgrade. Here I'd like to share with you my commonly used ways to free up Mac space for the macOS 27 upgrade. ### 1. Mac's Built\-in Storage Management Feature I'm running on an M1 Apple Silicon MacBook Air \(2020\) with macOS Tahoe 26.5.1. And my clean order goes to: large files \> unused apps \> system junk \> duplicated files \> similar photos \> trash. ![M1 Mac specifications](https://iboysoft.com/images/en-howto/prepare-to-upgrade-to-macos-27/m1-mac-specs.jpg) To use its internal storage manager, I click the[Apple Menu](https://iboysoft.com/wiki/apple-menu-on-mac.html)\> System Settings \> General \>**Storage**, then move the pointer over a color to see the space each category uses, including Applications, Documents, Developer, System Data, macOS, and Trash. ![M1 Mac storage info](https://iboysoft.com/images/en-howto/prepare-to-upgrade-to-macos-27/m1-mac-storage.jpg) To find and delete unnecessary large files, I prefer Documents. My large files can be listed out by size \(descending\), and I can easily delete them to[free up space on Macintosh HD](https://iboysoft.com/howto/how-to-free-up-space-on-macintosh-hd.html). Yet, it's only for large files in the Documents volume; personally created volumes are excluded. ![Large files under Documents](https://iboysoft.com/images/en-howto/prepare-to-upgrade-to-macos-27/m1-mac-documents.jpg) Applications is followed by cleaning up unused apps. You see, my Applications consumes 6.26GB on my Mac. That's the key part to release space. Select the unused apps based on kinds \(system or universal\) and size to delete. The downside is obvious: the deleted apps are moved to the Trash, which is unable to remove the apps' attached extensions or the related components. ![Applications space consumption info on Mac](https://iboysoft.com/images/en-howto/prepare-to-upgrade-to-macos-27/m1-mac-apps.jpg) Under such circumstances, a professional Mac cleaner software \-**iBoysoft Cleaner**really hits the spot for me. ### 2. Professional Mac Cleaner Software [iBoysoft Cleaner](https://iboysoft.com/mac-cleaner.html)is well\-crafted to analyze the space usage details of*This Mac*, user folder, every partition, volume \(default & created\), and list the scanned results in a directory structure and visualization mode, helping you better understand your file path and type. Meanwhile, it applies an AI analysis feature to help you decide which data is safe to delete and which should be kept. It supports you in clearing system junk files, completely uninstalling apps \(alongside their extensions, components\), deleting large files \(from all volumes/file types\), login items, boosting RAM memory, and removing duplicate files/similar photos to dramatically free up your Macintosh HD space for macOS 27 install and upgrade. Here's how to use iBoysoft Cleaner to clear junk files, uninstall apps, delete large/duplicated files, etc., for more available space on Mac: 1. Download, install, and open iBoysoft Cleaner on your Mac. Give this app full disk access permission to ensure a complete scan. ![iBoysoft Cleaner main interface](https://iboysoft.com/images/en-howto/prepare-to-upgrade-to-macos-27/m1-mac-iboysoft-cleaner.jpg) 2. Click “Space Optimizer" \> choose This Mac \(the whole hard disk\), User Folder, Downloads, or any other partition/volume at your disposal. It will begin scanning your Mac, classifying and analyzing your file data. ![Optimize M1 Mac space usage](https://iboysoft.com/images/en-howto/prepare-to-upgrade-to-macos-27/m1-mac-iboysoft-cleaner-space-optimizer.jpg) 3. Select the files and folders you want to delete. You can click the colorful circle to check the AI file analysis to help you judge if the files can be deleted. 4. Click the Delete button at the lower right corner of the interface. The same also applies to cleaning system junk, large files, duplicated files, similar photos, login items, and uninstall apps, etc. Choose the specific feature to free up Mac space based on your file type. Last but not least, I head to Trash. Check the files in Trash again to ensure no important files there, and then empty my Trash to release more space for this macOS Golden Gate major upgrade. If you find this post informative, please share it with more people on your social platform\! ## Update Current OS and Apps Major macOS updates can break compatibility with older, unsupported apps. Check if your essential daily applications have confirmed macOS 27 support. Pay special attention to the applications below: - NTFS for Mac software - VPN/antivirus software - Virtualization software \(VMware Fusion/Parallels\) - Audio plugins and DAWs - Cloud sync apps like Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive Open the Mac App Store \(or vendor websites\) and check your Updates tab to guarantee your third\-party applications \(esp. those mentioned above\) are compatible with the new macOS 27 Golden Gate. Meanwhile, check OS updates on your Mac computer by Apple Menu \>[System Settings](https://iboysoft.com/wiki/macos-ventura-system-settings.html)\> Software Update \> Update Now to ensure you are running the latest version of your current macOS \(e.g., macOS Tahoe\). ![Update current OS to the latest version](https://iboysoft.com/images/en-howto/prepare-to-upgrade-to-macos-27/m1-mac-software-updates.jpg) ## Verify Your Passwords and Recovery Information Based on my previous experience installing macOS Tahoe and Sequoia, the Mac administrator password and other recovery keys might be required. Before you begin, make sure you have access to: - Mac administrator password - Apple Account password - FileVault recovery key \(if FileVault is enabled\) - Time Machine backup password \(in case your backup is encrypted\) During installation, macOS may prompt you to enter your administrator password. ## Update under Safe Conditions Can't update to macOS 27 on Mac? In most cases, this macOS 27 upgrade failure doesn't result from insufficient storage space or hardware/OS compatibility. Instead, it's relevant to the update conditions. To ensure a smooth update, you need to: - Unplug unnecessary hubs, drives, audio interfaces, and peripherals - Do not close the Mac computer lid or let the Mac sleep during macOS Golden Gate installation - Plug your Mac into power - Use a stable Wi\-Fi or Ethernet connection \(run [macOS Network Quality](https://iboysoft.com/wiki/macos-network-quality.html) to know the Mac's responsiveness\) To sum up, I walk you through the essential steps you ought to complete before you[download macOS 27 Golden Gate beta dmg](https://iboysoft.com/howto/macos-27-beta-dmg-download.html)and install it on your Mac. Though it's claimed to be safe for a macOS upgrade \(even a major upgrade\), you can never predict when and how an accident may occur. Taking the time to prepare before the macOS 27 system upgrade is always worthwhile. ## FAQs about macOS 27 Upgrade Preparation AYou can safely upgrade to macOS 27 beta now. Certainly, there might be some bugs in the beta version. Wait if you're still running on an Intel\-based Mac, haven't updated your apps or haven't backed up your data. AmacOS 27 Golden Gate was announced at WWDC on June 8, 2026 — public beta in July, final release in fall 2026 \(likely September\). Keep a close eye on the eventual release date.