macOS Sequoia Operating System Downgrade Guide
IMPORTANT: Apple released macOS Sequoia (macOS 15) on September 16, 2024. We will update this article based on our experience with Sequoia.
If you are a musician, an audio engineer, or a content creator who has upgraded your Mac to macOS Sequoia only to discover that you have software or hardware that no longer functions correctly, it should be possible to downgrade (revert or roll back) your Mac to the previous version, macOS Sonoma (or an earlier version that shipped with your Mac). This allows you to get back to work.
We sincerely hope you don’t find yourself in this position, but if you do, there’s hope. Here’s an overview of the steps:
- Use Time Machine to back up your data to an external hard drive.
- Create a bootable installer on a USB flash drive to install the earlier version of macOS.
- Use Recovery Mode to erase your Mac startup disk.
- Use the bootable installer flash drive to install the earlier version of macOS on your startup disk.
- Use Migration Assistant to restore your data and apps to your Mac from your Time Machine backup.
The specific steps depend on which type of Mac you have (a Mac with Apple Silicon or an Intel-based Mac with T2 security chip) and to which earlier version of macOS you wish to revert.
IMPORTANT: Read through all instructions before you start, including those from Apple Support, which we will link to below. Write down your passwords beforehand. Print out the instructions you need. If you get stuck, contact Apple’s tech support to request help by phone.
- Should I Downgrade from macOS Sequoia?
- What You Need Before Downgrading
- Overview of How to Downgrade
- Ready to Downgrade?
Should I Downgrade from macOS Sequoia?
Before we go any further, it may not be necessary for you to downgrade. If you have identified particular apps or plug-ins that are not functioning with Sequoia, first check with the developers to find out if they have new versions that provide compatibility. Installing the latest updates to those apps may fix the problems.
Visit Sweetwater’s macOS Sequoia Compatibility Guide. The chart at the bottom provides links to support information for 200 manufacturers and developers.
If the developers of the software you need don’t have new versions yet, you may need to downgrade.
What You Need Before Downgrading
Note that if your Mac is a new model that came from Apple with macOS Sequoia, it is not possible to downgrade to an earlier version.
If your Mac came with an earlier version and you installed Sequoia, however, you should be able to downgrade. Before you do, you must make a Time Machine backup of your data using an external hard drive.
You’ll need:
- Your Mac
- Usernames and passwords, written down:
- The administrator username and password you use to log in to your Mac
- Your Apple ID, email address, and password. This is your account with Apple, and it may not be the same as the username and password you use to log in to your Mac.
- An external hard drive, preferably at least double the size of your Mac startup disk, to create a Time Machine backup
- A USB flash drive, 32GB or larger, that you can format as a bootable installer. We recommend one that operates at USB 3.1 speed.
- A reliable Internet connection
- Connecting your Mac to your router with an Ethernet cable (using an appropriate adapter, hub, or dock for a MacBook) is preferable for speed and stability.
- If you use Wi-Fi, position your Mac near the access point. Write down the network name and password to log in from your Mac in Recovery Mode.
TIP: If you have a desktop Mac, we recommend that you use a wired keyboard and mouse, connected to your Mac with USB cables, when you boot into Recovery mode. It’s possible to use a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse in Recovery Mode, but it’s difficult to set up.
Overview of How to Downgrade
Step One: Make a Backup Using Time Machine
IMPORTANT: Do not downgrade your Mac without first making a complete Time Machine backup on an external hard drive. Downgrading requires completely erasing your startup disk. Without the backup, you will lose all your data, not to mention you’ll have to reinstall all your apps separately.
Follow the instructions in Sweetwater’s macOS Time Machine Backup Guide.
After you have created the backup, eject the Time Machine external drive from your computer and disconnect the USB cable. You don’t want to erase the Time Machine drive by mistake.
Step Two: Prepare a Bootable Installer
A bootable installer is a USB flash drive that you prepare with the Apple installer app for a previous version of macOS. When you boot your Mac into Recovery Mode and erase its startup disk, you can install the previous version of macOS from the bootable installer drive.
Create the bootable installer
Follow the instructions in the Apple support article Create a bootable installer for macOS. Here’s an overview:
- Download a full macOS installer for Sonoma (or another earlier version) from the Mac App Store or through your web browser.
- Connect the USB flash drive to your Mac. Use Disk Utility to format the flash drive as Mac OS Extended.
- Use the Terminal app to execute the command that will create the bootable installer. During this process, the macOS installer will be copied from your Applications folder onto the USB drive in a format that enables your Mac to boot from the installer.
At this point, we will ask you to take care of some extra steps not mentioned in Apple’s article.
Deactivate and Deauthorize Software
After creating the bootable installer, go to System Settings. Log out of your Apple ID account to disconnect your Mac from your iCloud services.
Your third-party DAW, your plug-ins, and your other music and audio apps may require license authorization or activation to your Mac. After you downgrade macOS, these apps may see your new installation as a whole new computer, and you will need to activate all these pieces of software over again. This may not be a problem, as many apps let you authorize on multiple machines, but before you downgrade, it’s best if you deactivate or deauthorize each piece of software and then use the license code to reactivate after the downgrade. Visit the support pages for each manufacturer or developer of your software for instructions.
Step Three: Use the Bootable Installer to Downgrade Your Mac
With the bootable installer connected and your Mac either connected to your router via Ethernet or able to connect to Wi-Fi, shut down your Mac. Next, you will boot into Recovery Mode.
On a Mac with Apple silicon
- Press and hold the power button until you see the Startup Options window.
- Select Options.
- If you don’t have an Ethernet connection, you will be prompted to connect to your Wi-Fi router. You will need to enter the name of the router and your passcode.
- In Recovery Mode, use Disk Utility to erase your internal hard drive. Be sure you are ready to do this, and don’t do it unless you have that Time Machine backup. When the erasure is complete, quit Disk Utility.
- Still in Recovery Mode, in the Options view, select the bootable installer flash drive. Click Continue, then follow the instructions to select the startup disk that you have erased. Indicate that you wish to install the previous version of macOS onto this volume, then proceed.
On an Intel-based Mac with the T2 security chip
- Power on the Mac and hold the Option (Alt) key on your keyboard.
- Select Options.
- In Recovery Mode, you will need to use the Startup Security Utility to configure your Mac to allow booting from external or removable media. Beforehand, review the instructions in Apple’s support article About Startup Security Utility on a Mac with the Apple T2 Security Chip.
- In Recovery Mode, use Disk Utility to erase your internal hard drive. Be sure you are ready to do this, and don’t do it unless you have that Time Machine backup. When the erasure is complete, quit Disk Utility.
- Still in Recovery Mode, in the Options view, select the bootable installer flash drive. Click Continue, then follow the instructions to select the startup disk that you have erased. Indicate that you wish to install the previous version of macOS onto this volume, then proceed.
Learn more by reviewing the instructions in Apple’s article Create a bootable installer for macOS.
Learn more about Recovery Mode in our SweetCare article macOS Recovery Explained.
Step Four: Use Migration Assistant to Restore Your Data from Your Time Machine Disk
When your Mac reboots, it will start up with a fresh copy of macOS Sonoma (or the other previous version of macOS that you chose). The Migration Assistant will prompt you to restore your data from a Time Machine backup. Connect your Time Machine disk to your Mac. Follow the prompts. Depending on how much data you have and the speed of the disk, it may take hours to complete the restore. If you have a MacBook, make sure it’s plugged in, and don’t shut anything down until the restore is complete.
Learn more in Apple’s support article Transfer to a new Mac with Migration Assistant.
Upon logging back in, you will be prompted to input your Apple ID and password to reconnect to your iCloud services.
For your music and audio software, you may need to reactivate or transfer licenses for your DAW, your plug-ins, and your apps. Log in to your accounts at the developers’ websites, then run their portals and download apps.
TIP: Continue to use your Time Machine backup disk to make incremental backups of your data from this point forward, but you must turn off Time Machine, iCloud, and any other backup services while recording and mixing audio. Learn more in Sweetwater’s macOS Audio Optimization Guide.
Ready to Downgrade?
As we said at first, we hope you don’t find yourself in this position, but now you know the series of steps to downgrade. It will take some effort, but it’s doable.
Related Articles
When you need help, Sweetwater has the answers!
Our knowledge base contains over 28,000 expertly written tech articles that will give you answers and help you get the most out of your gear. Our pro musicians and gear experts update content daily to keep you informed and on your way. Best of all, it’s totally FREE, and it’s just another reason that you get more at Sweetwater.com.
Offer applies only to single-receipt qualifying purchases. Select manufacturers may require that only the manufacturer’s products qualify towards the minimum purchase amount needed to be eligible for promotional financing. Otherwise, an invoice that meets the minimum purchase amount and contains at least one qualifying manufacturer product is eligible for promotional financing. No interest will be charged on promo purchase balance, and equal monthly payments are required on promo purchase until it is paid in full. The payments equal the amount financed divided by the number of months in the promo period, rounded up to the next whole dollar. These payments may be higher than the payments that would be required if this purchase was a non-promo purchase. During the last month(s) of the promo period the required monthly payment may be reduced due to the prior months’ rounding. Regular account terms apply to non-promo purchases. New Accounts as of 07/31/2025: Purchase APR is 34.99%. Penalty APR is 39.99%. Min Interest Charge is $2. Existing cardholders: See your credit card agreement terms. Subject to credit approval.
Offer applies only to single-receipt qualifying purchases. No interest will be charged on the promo balance if you pay it off, in full, within the promo period. If you do not, interest will be charged on the promo balance from the purchase date. The required minimum monthly payments may or may not pay off the promo balance before the end of the promo period, depending on purchase amount, promo length and payment allocation. Regular account terms apply to non-promo purchases and, after promo period ends, to the promo balance. New Accounts as of 07/31/2025: Purchase APR is 34.99%. Penalty APR is 39.99%. Min Interest Charge is $2. Existing cardholders: See your credit card agreement terms. Subject to credit approval.
The estimated required monthly payment shown which excludes taxes and delivery equals the amount financed divided by the number of months in the promo period, rounded up to the next cent. During the last month(s) of the promo period the required monthly payment may be reduced due to this rounding. These payments apply only with the financing offer shown. If you make these payments by the due date each month, you should pay off this amount financed within the promo period, if it is the only balance you are paying off. If you have other balances on your account, this payment will be added to any other minimum monthly payments.
Applies only to select items from this manufacturer. Ask your Sweetwater Sales Engineer for more details.