The next big release of macOS is out. Apple has released macOS Big Sur for all users. And like previous years, Apple’s servers will be busy serving a high volume of download requests, at least for the first few days.
Of course, the macOS system update experience has improved greatly over time. And though you’re less likely to face download issues, such as slow downloading speeds, unable to resume download, interrupted download, frequent disconnection, etc., while downloading the Big Sur update via System Preferences or Mac App Store, it’s still probable.
Thus, many users would still look for direct download links for Big Sur, primarily for faster downloads through download managers, along with resume support in case it gets interrupted.
In this article, we’ll explore a way to download macOS Big Sur directly from the Apple server instead of via the MAS/System Preferences, using your favorite web browser or a dedicated download manager.
– macOS Big Sur 11.1 Final (20C69) / December 12th, 2020 (Updated)
- Grab it via this Terminal Command –> softwareupdate –fetch-full-installer
- Download Full installer via this link –> InstallAssistant.pkg
- Or grab it from Mac App Store –> Install macOS Big Sur.app
Or, you can use script by Github user CorpNewt that will allow you to grab Direct Link to installer with every update should Apple make it available, as sometimes Apple only releases OTA update no full installer…
~ gibMacOS Script ~
** Note: In earlier versions of macOS, we needed to download multiple .pkg files, which required the below steps to ultimately create the Installer.app file. However, with Big Sur, you just need to download the InstallAssistant.pkg file, run it, and complete the package installer wizard.