How to Re-Download MacOS Mojave Installer (from MacOS Mojave)

Oct 4, 2018 - 31 Comments

How to Redownload MacOS Mojave installer

Some users may occasionally need to re-download the MacOS Mojave installer application while actively running MacOS Mojave. This is usually done for making a MacOS Mojave boot installer drive or some other similar purpose, or perhaps to copy the installer onto another computer or as a backup, but there are other reasons someone may want to download the “Install MacOS Mojave.app” package again too.


Remember, the MacOS Mojave Installer application deletes itself automatically after macOS Mojave has successfully installed, thus even if you previously downloaded the installer and used it to install Mojave on the same Mac, unless you previously had made a copy of it then it will have removed itself, thus you’d need to re-download it again.

How to Re-download the MacOS Mojave Installer Application

  1. From MacOS Mojave, open the Mac App Store and search for “MacOS Mojave” (or click this direct link to Mojave)
  2. Click the “Get” button to start re-downloading MacOS Mojave
  3. How to redownload Mac OS Mojave installer from Mojave

  4. The Software Update control panel will automatically launch, confirm that you want to download MacOS Mojave to download the installer
  5. How to redownload Mac OS Mojave installer from Mojave

The installer package when finished will land in the /Applications folder as it normally would, labeled as “Install macOS Mojave.app”.

The Installer application for MacOS Mojave

This process may be a little confusing because while the installer for MacOS Mojave comes from the Mac App Store, later system software updates arrive through the “Software Update” preference panel in MacOS Mojave 10.14 onward.

Help, I can’t download MacOS Mojave from the Mac App Store!

If you can’t get the Mac App Store method of re-downloading the MacOS Mojave installer to work properly for whatever reason, then not to worry because there are other methods available.

The same trick that is used to navigate around the mini-Mojave installer can also be used to download the full size macOS Mojave installer directly from MacOS Mojave 10.14 or later as well.

That alternative method, which uses a third party utility to download and build the installer package, should work regardless of what you can or can’t get working from the Mac App Store approach.

Do you know of any other methods to re-download the MacOS Mojave installer application directly from Mojave? Share with us in the comments below!

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Posted by: Paul Horowitz in Mac OS, Tips & Tricks

31 Comments

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  1. That site expects you to switch to the App Store app and that app will not let you download the file unless you are on a system that can run Mojave. Very frustrating if you’re just wanting to collect the install file to be used later on a different system. I’ll bet that somewhere at apple.com, perhaps in the developer area, that file is downloadable.

  2. Jay says:

    You can still (07/2020) get macOS Mojave from the – hidden – App Store page at

    https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/macos-mojave/id1398502828?mt=12

    Enjoy!

    • elizabeth says:

      That is a download for 10.14.6. It will not work if you don’t already have 10.14.

      • Pete says:

        Hi Jay,
        Thank you very much! It has been difficult for me to find.

        I already use Mojave, however I’m troubleshooting as it has gone ‘buggy’ for an unknown reason & I’ve created a new volume to re-install it to & am going from there.

        Best wishes, Pete

  3. adel says:

    no Mojave installer or down loader any where on the net unless some one know some one who has on the side

  4. Aindre Reece-Sheerin says:

    Hi There, How can I tell if my Macbook pro late 2013 is upgradeable from Mavericks to Mojave please? Searched in vain to find an actual download link. Can’t log in to iTunes either which is strange. Thanks in advance – Aindre

  5. Zain says:

    i tried and i get a message saying, “this copy of macOS is too old to be opened”

    what do i do

  6. manya says:

    the get option is not coming . instead there is this open option but I want to re-download it.

  7. Oleksii says:

    Hello, help me guys , i have Catalina update for my mac right now ,what happened if i will re install Mojave update from App Store ? i will lose all my information from my mac or no ?

  8. Michael D says:

    Apple Support just gave me this link. It appears the Mojave installer is alive and well in the App Store; it’s just cloaked.

    https://apps.apple.com/us/app/macos-mojave/id1398502828?mt=12

  9. Ardy Effendi says:

    My system preferences say that my Mac is up to date and won’t allow me to download anything. Is there a way to force download?

    • omrini says:

      Yes follow the instructions as directed above to re-download the macOS Mojave installer from the App Store. I used them and it works.

  10. Ardy Effendi says:

    Every time I hit ‘Get’ in the App Store it launches System Preferences. Once there it checks for updates instead of redownloading Mojave. I never get the opportunity to quit the installer to have it in my Applications. I have the automatic updates and all other automatic preferences turned off but also already have the latest version of MacOS Mojave. How do I work around this?

  11. RADSHAGAN says:

    I have installed macOS 10.14. 4 and when I try to redownload the installer, after it downloaded 6.03GB file, I can’t find it anywhere including usual /Applications folder.
    It is so weird on Mojave and so annoying.

  12. Sam says:

    Just a reminder:
    You need to untick the “automatically keep my Mac up to date” to get rid of the update.

  13. Santi says:

    Do not works. Only calls software update.

    • Libby says:

      Santi this does work. The Mojave installer downloads from Software Update, yes.

      This is exactly how you re-download the MacOS Mojave Installer from within MacOS Mojave. It does work, follow the instructions. The screenshots clearly demonstrate this working for redownloading installer of Mojave, and I did it myself.

  14. Ashems Songwe says:

    I have been trying, but all in vain, for more than 8 times to download a full/base version of the Mojave 10.14. All I get is the 22MB Installer version 10.14.1 which will not work on my Mac as it keeps on crashing, and obviously as the 10.14.1 is supposedly an update.

    I am currently on High Sierra 10.13.2 and I would think it should be okay to upgrade straight to Mojave 10.14, then later on apply the update, version 10.14.1. I have tried the same under High Sierra 10.13.6, but with same results

    Strangely, when I get to the Mac App Store in High Sierra 10.13.2 and try to download Mojave:
    1. The Store only presents to me updated version of Mojave, version 10.14.1, and not the base version 10.14
    2. The Get button is never displayed. All I see is the Download button.

    While there are some some suggestions to use third party apps as a workaround to downloading the full size version, but I am at this point just not comfortable to do that.

    I would appreciate some help that would lead to downloading the full size Mojave version 10.14 or the Installer of version 10.14, and not the 10.14.1.

    Ashems
    Lilongwe, Malawi

  15. James Allison says:

    Hi,

    Thanks for your quick reply. Yes I am using Mojave on a USB 3 external drive. It will boot from the external HD, holding the the Alt key dow I get the Mojave desktop, then everything. I was advised by Apple Support to do a PRAM reset, don’t know why but I think it’s now called a VRAM rese now. I have 150 GB USB stick. I could download Mojave onto that. I think I’ve read on your site that Mojave sometimes needs to be installed twice.

    When I upgraded to High Sierra direct to my MacBook Pro Retina, but somehow it asked for the Firmware password, which although I’ve been on Mac System since 1992 on System 7.6 I’ve never know a firmware password. It had to go back to a UK Apple Authorised Technician. It was only 4 weeks out of AppleCare, but I had to pay £90 plus carriage. Pity I didn’t have access to your article on getting a new firmware password before that. I believe it’s stored in a chip on the logic board, so perhaps, a task not to be attempted by a 77 year old with MS & chronic arthritis in his hands

    Will keep you posted,
    Jim
    England, UK.

  16. leonbakhan says:

    It went well nicely with my Macbook pro early 2015 RD
    I made a bootable pen drive and clean installed the Mojave.
    Everything is fine.
    but once I switch on the mac book the mojave screen apears and then I put in my password it boots and while booting the mojave screan disappears and a black screen appears and then desk top appears.
    Is this Normal?

  17. James Allison says:

    I downloaded macOS 10.4 Mojave direct from Apple’s Servers. However I normally wait until the second or third update.

    I was so eager to see macOS 10.14, instead of downloading it to my 2015 MacBook Pro Retina, I chose to install it on an external USB 3 Hard Drive. The download went well as I have a download speed of over 350 Mbps. After downloading 10.14, it took nearly an hour to complete the installation. When I tried to boot from the external HD, the Mojave desktop appeared after a PRAM reset and a Recovery Mode restart. What have I done wrong and is there any help you can offer me.

    Many thanks,

    Jim
    England,UK

    • TN says:

      It sounds like you have macOS Mojave running on the external drive and it’s working. Why it required a PRAM reset is not sure, maybe your USB was not being recognized?

      Hold OPTION key at boot to switch between booting your Mojave external drive, and the internal drive.

      But I am like you, I usually wait for second, third, or later updates… Mojave included.

  18. Kenny says:

    No, it does not work.
    I have installed macOS 10.14(18A391) and when I try to redownload the installer, after it downloaded 6.02GB file, I can’t find it anywhere including usual /Applications folder.
    It is so weird on Mojave and so annoying.

    • TN Sam says:

      Strange, it works to redownload macOS Mojave installer for some people obviously, but not others? The pictures clearly show it working too, did you do something different than instructions?

      Use the Dosdude1 tool, it downloads the installer as well. I had to use it on a Mac with El Cap which got the micro install file.

      Apple is sometimes confusing today, sad! Same instructions work for some, but not all, that makes no sense!

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