Why and How to Upgrade Your Macintosh to Ventura

4. Live Captions provides immediate transcription of incoming audio similar to closed captioning on YouTube, part of a suite of accessibility tools.

5. Passkeys, a password alternative, are a convenient way to log into online accounts. These unique digital keys stay on your device, not stored on a web server, so signing in is secure and easy using fingertip Touch ID or Face ID, types of biometric verification.

6. Shared tab groups in the Safari browser allow you to collaborate with others on the web or collectively sync bookmarks, such as a family researching a vacation together. You can also start a FaceTime or Messages chat with a group within the Safari web browser.

7. Stage Manager helps you organize apps to better concentrate on what you’re working on by placing your current working app, such as Pages, in the center of the screen. Other open windows appear to the left of your workspace to access if needed.

Other Ventura highlights:

• Better responsiveness while playing the most demanding video games.
• Improvements to Mac’s Mail and Messages apps, including the ability to undo a recently sent message.
• Photo sharing through an iCloud shared photo library.

Figure out how much space you have to add Ventura inside your Mac by clicking on the 1. Apple icon in the upper left corner of your screen and choosing About This Mac. 2. In the box that pops up, choose the Storage tab.

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How to update to macOS Ventura

1. Make a backup. Although your personal files and passwords should never be affected in an upgrade, back up all your important files beforehand to be cautious. Macs have a Time Machine app built in to automatically duplicate your data, but other backup solutions can do the trick, such as external hard drives or solid state drives (SSDs).

2. Check your free space. Under the Apple menu at the top left corner of your screen, choose About this Mac | Storage to see how much space remains on your Mac’s internal drive. You’ll need 25 to 30 gigabytes (GB) available to install and run Ventura.

3. Plug in to power. You don’t want your Mac’s battery to die during the update.

4. Seek out the software. If your Mac prompts you to update to the newer operating system, let it lead you. After downloading Ventura, the installer will open automatically.

You also can navigate through the Apple menu to System Settings (formerly known as System Preferences) | General | Software Update. Your Mac will check for updates and prompt you to install them.

5. Follow the leader. Click Continue and heed the onscreen prompts.

6. Stay awake. Make sure you don’t close the lid or put your Mac to sleep until Ventura’s installation is complete. Your Mac might restart several times during the process. After it’s installed, Ventura will let you know when the update is complete.

7. Keep up to date. Subsequent versions of Ventura will eventually be available. To check on a new version or to confirm your current OS, click the Apple menu | System Settings | General | Software Update.

Is your Mac new enough for macOS Ventura? Apple offers a complete list of Mac devices that can handle the Ventura upgrade, but here are a few. If yours is too old for the update or you don’t have enough storage, the system will immediately notify you.

• iMac desktop computer built in late 2017 or later
• iMac Pro desktop
• MacBook laptop built in 2017 or later
• MacBook Air built in 2018 or later
• MacBook Pro built in 2017 or later
• Mac mini desktop built in 2018 or later
• Mac Pro desktop built in 2019 or later
• Mac Studio desktop

Pro tip: If your Mac is too old for the latest operating system, upgrade to the most recent that Apple will allow. That gives you as much security as possible on an older machine.