Description
There are 2 different ways you can upgrade MacOS. Make sure you have the Mac plugged into a power source and connected through ethernet before beginning upgrade process.
Steps
First Option: System Settings
Step 1: Go into System Settings by either clicking the Apple icon in the top left corner of the screen and selecting “System Settings” or by clicking the System Settings icon directly, which is the gray icon with gears.
Step 2: Once in System Settings, you will click General, then click Software Update. You will then see the screen below. Click Update Now.
Step 3: Next you will see the screen shown below, which asks you to agree to the Software License Agreement. Click Agree.
Step 4: You are now done. Now you just wait for the upgrade to complete. The Mac may restart multiple times during this process. Do not turn off or unplug the Mac or unplug the ethernet connection while the upgrade is in progress.
Second Option: Self Service
Step 1: Click on the Self Service icon either on your dock, or by clicking any open space on the desktop so that next to the Apple icon in the top left corner, you will see Finder. Click finder. When in Finder, click Applications. You will find Self Service within Applications. Finder can also be found on your dock; it is the half blue and half white smiley face icon.
Self Service Icon:
Step 2: Once you are in Self Service, go to the search bar in the top left of the window and type “macOS” and the available versions of macOS are shown. The most current version at the writing of this document is Sonoma.
Step 3: Next, you can click on Install to begin the upgrade, or you can click on the Sonoma icon which will take you to a window with some information about the upgrade. You can click Install from this window as well.
Step 4: Once you click Install, a blue circle will begin spinning where the Install button was while it loads the upgrade prompts. Once it is done loading, the Install button will say Open instead of Install. Click Open and you will see the screen below.
Step 5: Click Continue. On the next screen you will be asked to agree to the Software License Agreement. Click Agree.
Step 6: After clicking agree, another screen will pop up asking you to confirm your choice by clicking Agree again. Click Agree again to continue.
Step 7: A screen will pop up showing you which disk MacOS will be installed on. Click Continue.
Step 8: After clicking continue, a box will pop up prompting you for an administrator username and password. Type in the credentials you use to sign into your Mac. Once you provide the username and password and click Unlock, the upgrade will begin. Do not turn off or unplug the Mac or unplug the ethernet connection while the upgrade is in progress.
Note