How one can downgrade macOS replace: Rollback Tahoe to Sequoia

macOS Tahoe arrived on Macs on September 15, 2025. Many individuals raced to set up macOS Tahoe and find it irresistible, whereas others have put in the up to date solely to remorse it later. Maybe you’re fighting Liquid Glass visibility points, possibly you may have found that an app you depend on now not works or is buggy? Possibly you hate one of many new options? Or you’re pissed off that your Mac can’t make the most of all the brand new options as a result of it doesn’t assist Apple Intelligence.

It’s not at all times a totally new model of macOS you wish to revert from both. Apple points a number of level updates all year long and if one thing breaks in your Mac following that replace you might wish to return to the earlier model. This might be from Sequoia 15.7 to fifteen.6, for instance, or it might be revering from macOS 26.1 to the unique macOS 26.0.

Fortunately it’s attainable to revert to the earlier model of macOS from earlier than the replace, however, sadly, it isn’t so simple as discovering the older model of the Mac working system and reinstalling it–and it may possibly imply you lose a few of your information.

Under, we’ll run by way of the steps to downgrade your Mac from the newest model of macOS Tahoe to Sequoia, from a model of macOS Tahoe to a different model of macOS Tahoe, and even from Sequoia to Sonoma.

How one can downgrade from Tahoe to Sequoia

Chances are high you arrived on this text as a result of you may have up to date to macOS Tahoe and remorse it. The method is simply the identical as in case you are reverting from a minor ‘level’ replace to macOS although, e.g. macOS 15.7 to macOS 15.6.1.

The excellent news is it may be achieved. The dangerous information is that you’ll want to wipe your Mac to take action. The strategy you comply with shall be decided by whether or not of not you have already got a backup (and the way previous that backup is).

When you have a backup from earlier than the macOS replace, all you have to do is wipe your Mac after which get well your backup with the older model of the backup from earlier than your replace to the brand new macOS.

(Reminder: This can erase your Mac, so do be sure to have a backup of necessary recordsdata.)

The straightforward possibility: How one can revert a macOS replace utilizing Time Machine

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When you have an older Time Machine backup from earlier than you upgraded the downgrade course of is comparatively simple. Along with your pre-Tahoe Time Machine backup in hand, you’ll be able to get well your machine from earlier than the replace after which copy again any recordsdata you created after you put in Tahoe.

That is our most well-liked technique as a result of Time Machine backs up your settings and apps in order that once you get well from that backup every little thing is precisely the way in which you’re used to it being, which will be comforting. So long as you may have previous backups you must be capable to return to a date earlier than your improve and get well that model of your Mac. Simply keep in mind that something you may have achieved since then shall be misplaced since you’ll wipe every little thing in your Mac as a part of the method, so you have to to make a non-Time Machine backup of these recordsdata.

Right here’s how you can get well the previous model of macOS utilizing Time Machine:

1. Plug your Time Machine disk into your Mac.
2. Restart your Mac.
3. On an M1 or later Mac you have to press and maintain the ability button till the Choices menu comes up. (For older Intel Macs maintain down Command + R till the Apple emblem seems.)
4. When the choices seem on the display screen, select ‘Restore From Time Machine Backup’ and click on Proceed.
5. The following display screen will present the phrases Restore from Time Machine, click on Proceed once more.
6. Subsequent, choose your Restore Supply – this ought to be your backup drive.
7. The following display screen reveals all of your backups over time, decide the final one you made previous to updating to the newer model of the Mac working system. (You’ll be able to see which model of macOS the again up was made in).

Upon getting restored the older model of macOS out of your Time Machine backup, you’ll be able to get well the recordsdata you created because you up to date out of your non-Time Machine backup.

The tougher possibility: How one can wipe your Mac and set up an older macOS

However what for those who don’t have a Time Machine backup?…

For those who don’t have a Time Machine backup the tactic is a bit more difficult as a result of you have to wipe your Mac after which do a clear set up of the macOS you need. As a result of it entails wiping your Mac you’ll nonetheless have to again something you don’t wish to lose up – and to your backup you must use a backup device apart from Time Machine.

Why you shouldn’t use Time Machine for this backup: Apple’s Time Machine is not any good right here as a result of when it backs up your Mac it’s going to again up the present model of macOS as effectively, and once you get well your Mac from the backup you’ll get well that model too. You may use a device like Carbon Copy Cloner (which has a free 30-day trial or prices £52/$49.99), and doesn’t make you again up the working system. Take a look at our suggestions right here: Finest backup software program for Macs. We even have recommendation about How one can again up a Mac.

1.

Get the installer

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The primary stage of this technique is to get the installer for the model of macOS you require, with the prerequisite that your Mac wants to have the ability to run it. See: macOS compatibility–the variations your Mac can run.

We’ve got hyperlinks to some current variations of macOS beneath so you’ll be able to obtain the one you need.

1. To begin you have to seize the installer of whichever model of macOS you wish to set up from the Mac App Retailer utilizing the hyperlinks above. In order for you an older model see this text: How one can obtain previous variations of macOS. Once you click on the hyperlink above it ought to take you on to the Mac App Retailer, if that doesn’t occur shut the Mac App Retailer whether it is open and be sure to are utilizing Safari. 
2. Click on on Get.
3. The Software program Replace window will open and you must see a pop-up overlaying it with the model you wish to obtain. Click on on Obtain and ensure that you just wish to obtain the software program (you’ll additionally see a warning that you’re downloading an older model of the OS, ignore it.)
4. As soon as it’s downloaded DO NOT click on on Open – you don’t wish to set up it but. 

2.

Create a bootable installer

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You gained’t simply be capable to set up Sequoia over Tahoe, or any previous model of macOS over a more recent one. In an effort to set up an older model of macOS in your Mac it’s important to make a bootable installer that features the set up recordsdata.

To make a bootable installer, from which you’ll reinstall the older macOS, you have to a reminiscence stick to no less than 15GB house however we’d advocate extra. You’ll have to reformat that drive and put together it in Disk Utility after which use Terminal to enter the createinstallmedia command for the model of macOS you’re putting in.

Within the case of Sequoia that is:

sudo /Functions/Set up macOS Sequoia.app/Contents/Sources/createinstallmedia –quantity /Volumes/MyVolume

Within the case of Sonoma that is:

sudo /Functions/Set up macOS Sonoma.app/Contents/Sources/createinstallmedia –quantity /Volumes/MyVolume

You have to to exchange MyVolume with the identify you may have given to the drive you’re utilizing because the bootable installer.

We advocate that you just comply with the steps outlined on this article: How one can create a bootable installer of macOS to create your bootable installer. You’ll discover all of the createinstallmedia instructions in that article.

3.

Use the bootable installer to downgrade your Mac

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Now you may have your bootable installer you must be capable to set up the older model of macOS in your Mac utilizing it.

1. Join the bootable installer to your Mac.
2. Open System Settings and click on Normal > Startup Disk.
3. Select the exterior drive along with your installer because the startup disk and click on Restart.
4. Your Mac will shut down and restart in Restoration mode.
5. You have to to connect with Wi-Fi as a result of your Mac might want to connect with the web throughout this course of. Entry Wi-Fi settings from the Wi-Fi menu.
6. Choose Reinstall macOS from Utilities.
7. Click on Proceed.

4.

Arrange your Mac as new and get well your backed-up recordsdata

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Now that you’ve got wiped your Mac and put in the model of macOS you wished you have to to run by way of the set-up course of. See How one can arrange a brand new Mac for assist with that.

As soon as your Mac is up and operating you’ll be able to get well the info you backed up.

How one can repair issues downgrading a Mac

This stuff don’t at all times go easily. Listed below are a number of points you would possibly encounter:

Wiping an older Mac

In case your Mac is previous and isn’t operating Monterey or later, you have to to erase your Mac following the steps in our tutorial on wiping a MacBook or Mac. We advocate that you just comply with that tutorial as there are loads of steps you must take to make sure that you don’t create extra issues for your self.

What to do if booting from exterior media doesn’t work

In case you are utilizing a Mac with a T2 Chip then you have to make sure that you allow booting from exterior media or this won’t work. To do that you have to entry Restoration Mode after which select Startup Safety Utility from the menu. Right here you will note various choices together with these for Safe Boot and people for Allowed Boot Media. It’s on this second part that you can see Enable booting from exterior or detachable media. You have to this chosen as well from a bootable drive.

What to do if the previous macOS gained’t set up

If the above doesn’t work you might have to fully wipe your Mac earlier than reinstalling macOS from the bootable drive.

We clarify intimately how you can erase a Mac on this article: How one can erase a MacBook or Mac: restore to manufacturing unit settings and we advise that you just comply with that tutorial. When you have a Mac with T2 chip, or an M-series Mac erasing your Mac could be very easy because of the Erase All Content material And Settings possibility. This setting was once discovered within the menu of System Preferences however with the arrival of System Settings it’s now situated in System Settings > Normal> Switch or Reset.

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Reinstalling an older macOS by way of Restoration mode

Relying on the age of your Mac there is likely to be an choice to get well the unique model of macOS it shipped with utilizing macOS Restoration.

You gained’t be capable to revert to one thing older than the macOS your Mac shipped with.

Observe these steps to reinstall the model of macOS your Mac got here with, or one that’s near that:

1. Flip off your Mac.
2. For Intel-powered Macs, restart it whereas holding down Shift + Possibility/Alt + Command + R to enter Web Restoration Mode (be sure to are linked to the web). 
3. Select the Reinstall macOS possibility.
4. Click on Set up.

This might can help you set up the working system that your Mac shipped with. Sadly, once we tried this technique we had been unable to get well an older model of macOS, evidently it really works just for some Macs.

How one can keep away from issues once you downgrade macOS

Reversing an improve carries with it various wrinkles and pitfalls.

Most of those are as a consequence of modifications in file codecs and settings between variations of the OS. So, for instance, for those who create a doc or work on a file in a brand new model, whether or not it’s a beta or full launch, of macOS after which try to open it in an older model, it could not work.

To mitigate this, it’s smart to export any paperwork you’ve created or labored on within the newer OS in a regular file format. So, for instance, you would export paperwork as RTF recordsdata. That method, if the native recordsdata don’t survive the reverse improve, you’ll be capable to re-import the RTF recordsdata.

Take screenshots of preferences and settings

Everytime you carry out a clear set up of macOS, which is what you’re doing right here, it’s a good suggestion to take screenshots of any customized settings you’ve created in apps or in System Settings (or System Preferences on older Macs). That makes it simpler to re-create them later.

You also needs to make an observation of consumer account and password particulars for something you’ve arrange whereas operating the brand new model of the OS. For those who don’t use iCloud or Chrome to synchronise bookmarks, it’s a good suggestion to export these and make a replica.

And until you’re utilizing the migrate information possibility outlined above, you’ll additionally want installers and license codes for apps you utilize. If these are downloads from the Mac App Retailer, you’ll be able to simply re-download them from the Bought part within the App Retailer. If not, be sure to can obtain them from the seller’s web site. For those who don’t use a password supervisor to retailer license codes, be sure to’ve obtained a replica of them earlier than you begin.

Synchronize

For those who use Dropbox, OneDrive, Google Drive or every other type of cloud storage, be sure that your information is in sync earlier than you begin the method of reversing an improve. It’s simple to neglect that the recordsdata that dwell in your Dropbox folder, for instance, are native recordsdata and that whereas synchronization is frequent, the lack of an web connection will stop it and you would have recordsdata in your native folder that haven’t but been copied to the cloud.

Clicking on the cloud service’s emblem in your menu bar ought to let you know whether or not synchronization accomplished efficiently and recordsdata are updated.

For those who use Gmail, iCloud mail or every other IMAP server to your e-mail, be sure that it’s updated and any drafts you’ve composed not too long ago have been synchronized. For those who use a POP3 account you’ll need to manually again up the mail database and restore it after you reverse the improve. Or, for those who solely have a number of messages you have to maintain, ahead them to a Gmail account – you would set one up particularly for that goal.