After years of mountain-inspired operating systems, macOS Mojave feels like a catch of fresh air for Apple. Who wouldn’t be tempted to lay hands on its gorgeous Dark Mode? But as it often happens with new products, you should be aware of glitches, bugs, and all kinds of compatibility paradoxes. There are a few already known macOS Mojave problems that we will cover in this article.
Before September 2018 macOS Mojave was only available as a Beta via Apple developer account. It's been 7 months since it went public but if you want to get early access to future OS updates, you might consider becoming an Apple Developer. This privileged club costs $99 per year to join and in exchange, you'll be the first to lay your hands on Apple’s fresh releases.
2020-3-19 Microsoft Outlook for Mac keeps crashing Since the last update for macOS Mojave my Microsoft Outlook keeps crashing on start up. I have already tried to reinstalled it, but the problem keeps.
Here is the list of most common Mojave issues that have been reported so far.
One of the most reported macOS Mojave problems is a Mac getting stuck in the middle of the Mojave installation. A simple explanation — your Mac is just not technically fit to run Mojave. According to Apple, macOS 10.14 can be launched only on Macs not older than from 2012. If yours was released earlier — sorry, you’ll have to miss this update.
Below is the list of Mac models compatible with Mojave:
Okay, let’s assume your Mac is fully compatible with macOS Mojave. But still you get something like 'Installation of macOS could not continue' on your screen. What’s causing the installation trouble then? If your Mojave update stuck or ends abruptly, you should go back to square one and do it properly this time around. The recommended procedure requires backing your Mac up and cleaning your Mac from “old baggage” that may interfere with the macOS update.
Step 1. Clean up your Mac from system junk
As a general rule, a fresh macOS requires a fresh hard drive. There are tons of outdated caches, app leftovers, plugins, and system logs on any given Mac. Not only they take a lot of space but may also be causing various kernel-level errors. To clear them away, use a dedicated Mac cleanup app — you’ll be able to delete hidden junk that you otherwise can’t access. Among many alternatives, the simpler solution is CleanMyMac X, which has proved quite effective in cleaning my MacBook Pro (15-inch, 512 GB).
Now your Mac is ready to install macOS Mojave on top of your current OS. What’s left is to prepare the data backup in case something goes wrong.
Step 2. Back up your Mac
Step 3. Reinstall macOS Mojave
Now, delete the previously downloaded macOS Mojave installation (find it in your Downloads) and restart your computer. Next up, re-download the installation file from your Apple Developer Account or from the Mac App Store.
You have downloaded the macOS Mojave and still cannot go past “Preparing the installation…” window. Let’s admit, new macOS versions are often buggy and problematic but here are a few more ideas to try.
Start your Mac in Recovery Mode. To enter Recovery Mode on Mojave, Click Apple logo > Restart. Right after that hold down Command + R buttons while your Mac is restarting. While in Recovery Mode you’ll be able to run Disk Utility to check your disk for consistency.
Disable your antivirus software if you have any installed. Sometimes such apps would block any new installation attempts — a classic case of overprotection.
Some folks have reported they have ran into trouble trying to install macOS Mojave onto an external SSD drive. The installation would abort midway and eventually drop you back into High Sierra. As some bloggers have pointed out, the issue is caused by a USB-C adaptor connected to MacBook.
The solution suggested on Mac forums would be to connect the SSD via Thunderbolt 3 port. If you haven’t got a similar dock available, but your external drive has a Thunderbolt 1 or 2 port, try connecting it direct using a Thunderbolt 3 to 2 adaptor. Hopefully, this time it should work.
One more suggestion is to go the radical way and perform a clean install of macOS 10.13 High Sierra and then go a one step up to macOS Mojave.
The first editions of macOS 10.14 Mojave seemed to be lacking some basic iCloud features which will likely be added in the next updates. One of those missing bits is Back to My Mac functionality (remote access to files and screen sharing). But the most annoying setback is iCloud not syncing properly.
How to fix it? First, sign out from the iCloud account and sign in back again.
Then, similarly, log in back to your account. If that doesn’t resolve the syncing issue, delete the iCloud-linked folder “Cloud Docs” in the Finder. This will cause your Mac to download iCloud drive files and re-establish the connection.
In addition to that you’d want to stop a couple of iCloud-related process in Activity Monitor. This will reboot iCloud syncing from the ground up.
Repeat the same steps for “bird” process.
Since iMessages syncing has been added to macOS Mojave (cool!) this too may not work properly after the update. To fix it, you must apply the ancient “switch it off and on again” principle that works equally well for your home appliances. Simply disable and then re-enable iMessages syncing via iCloud to get it going like it should
Bluetooth connection not working on macOS 10.14 Mojave is a known issue too. The symptoms look like your Mac just wouldn’t connect to Bluetooth, or in some cases, refuse to turn itself off.
To address this injustice, it’s recommended to delete the Bluetooth plist file — don’t worry it will recreate itself upon the next Bluetooth launch. But just in case, copy the file to some safe location.
This macOS Mojave problem is quite typical. With every new macOS you can always expect some degree of mis-coordination between the OS and Apple default apps. The same refers to your third-party apps that launch automatically upon startup — they may not even be yet supported in the current version of macOS Mojave. As a result, you see your MacBook running slow after the Mojave update. What you can do is this:
Disable the unwanted Login Items
So how can you fix macOS Mojave crashing at login? Luckily, this issue is nicely tackled with the previously mentioned CleanMyMac X. It allows you to remove Login Items one by one so you can see which app was causing the macOS to crash. Disabling Login items with CleanMyMac at first may seem like an extra step but it’s worth it.
Using the same tool you can also trim down the so-called Launch Agents or Daemons. These are small helper applications that run in the background and extend the functionality of the main app, like Skype. Once again, your logic is to switch off one app at a time to see if fixes the problem.
Delete specific plist files in Preferences
A user on MacRumors forum suggested another possible solution. This annoying macOS Mojave problem can be fixed by removing the potentially corrupted property list (plist) files in Preferences. These files contain individual user settings for various parts of the macOS (Finder, Desktop, Applications). Resetting them may be just the solution you need. To proceed, you will need to start your Mac in the Safe Mode.
To enter Safe Mode, hold down Shift when your Mac is booting up. Let go of the Shift key when you see Apple logo appearing on the screen.
1. Click Finder > Go > Go to Folder…
2. Paste in: ~/Library/Preferences/
Note: copy this entire folder
3. Delete plist files for Finder or Desktop.
Restart your computer to see if that fixed the issue. If not, the optimal solution would be to revert to macOS High Sierra and wait for the next macOS Mojave updates from Apple. To go back to your previous macOS, install it from Time Machine backup that we are sure you had meticulously prepared.
So you’ve successfully installed macOS 10.14 Mojave to find out that your Mac’s performance got worse. This maybe not a Mojave-specific issue, though. Normally, people judge the efficiency of their Mac by looking at speed of their most-used apps. If your Mac hangs while you’re using Skype, for example, this may be due to Skype conflicting with the Mojave, thus a completely an app-related problem. But, anyway, it’s a good idea to do a basic health check of your system.
Fixes for a slow performance on Mojave:
1. Clean up your Desktop
Remember, every desktop icon takes up RAM space. Fewer icons — the faster your Mac gets. When your Desktop is clean, restart your computer. Newly-introduced 'Desktop Stacks' feature on macOS Mojave lets you put those icons in order.
2. Update all your apps to their latest versions
As you’re reading this, macOS developers around the world are adjusting their apps before to macOS Mojave before it goes public. Update everything to the last version available — some apps have already been fixed.
3. Check your Activity Monitor
Go to Launchpad > Activity monitor. Quit apps and processes that take up the unfair amount of memory.
4. Remove system junk and app cache
Outdated cache files, redundant support files, and logs generated by all your apps can slow even a powerful Mac down to a crawl. Remember how fast and efficient your Mac was straight from the store? You can partially restore this original power by cleaning up your Mac from top to bottom, or from Finder to Library, if you like. CleanMyMac X is a great app that can clean all sort of junk and clutter from your hard drive.
Things that deserve being removed:
You can download a free CleanMyMac version here. It cleans all the items described above.
The latest update to macOS Mojave introduced a new feature that leaves many of us, Apple fans, disappointed. Now the default behaviour of macOS Mojave is to show you 3 most recently used applications in the Dock. So if you have just quit an app and it still shows up in the Dock, it’s not a bug but a feature. Luckily, an easy reversible one.
After all, the Dock is a customizable corner of the macOS and it should be left to the user to decide what to put in there.
The main problem here is 32-bit/62-bit distinction. Apple stated that macOS High Sierra is the last operating system to support 32-bit optimized applications. From then on, if an app isn’t updated for 64-bit architecture, you won’t be able to use it on Mojave. This is one of the reasons not to update and stay with the good old High Sierra on your Mac.
Before you upgrade to macOS Mojave, check for compatibility issues. Here's how to do that:
Now, look for the last column 64- bit in the window that opens. “Yes” indicates that the app in question is ready to run on macOS Mojave. Sadly enough, even some of Apple’s native 32-bit apps will not be supported on macOS Mojave. This includes Aperture, old version of iWork, and old version of Final Cut Studio.
Other notable 32-bit apps are Microsoft Office’s Powerpoint 2011, Outlook 2011, Word 2011, Excel 2011. The adequate answer to that is to update these apps to newer versions. Or you could also:
However, if you've already upgraded to the new OS and need to check the incompatible software, you have to follow a bit different steps than mentioned above. In Mojave, 32-bit apps can be reviewed in System Information:
That's how you can get an overview of 32-bit apps on your Mac if Mojave is installed on your Mac. Developers are highly encouraged to migrate to 64-bit framework but it will take some time. So, if you need to remove the incompatible apps from your system, check a few tips below.
When you see this rather discouraging message you may simply want to uninstall the app — a radical solution to the problem. To make things easier, the Uninstaller tool in CleanMyMac has a special tab that will show you all 32-bit apps you have on your Mac. From there you are one click away from deleting them all at once:
This happens too. In this case, you can download the app again and try to re-install it from scratch. There is a more elegant solution, though. CleanMyMac tool, mentioned in this article has a tool to reset the apps to their original state, notably, without losing your user settings.
Using this method I was able to successfully fix my Evernote app failing to sync after the last update.
Since we're talking app versions, one more use of this versatile program is to update your applications to the latest versions. Instead of googling for the latest version of app X, Y, Z, you can update everything in one shot — just what Updater tool in CleanMyMac X does.
Many people report that after upgrading to macOS Mojave, Time Machine isn’t able to complete a backup. Unfortunately, this problem isn’t fixed yet, so keep an eye on software updates in the Mac App Store.
Before that, if you don’t want to risk losing your important files, consider some alternative backup options. You can transfer files to an external drive, iCloud, etc. For more information, check out this article about different ways to back up your Mac.
Since installing macOS Mojave the battery life of your MacBook has become shorter? Then it’s time to check what’s causing the battery drain on your Mac. Here’s how to do that:
From there you can see how much energy your programs are taking up. If it’s a lot, you may consider uninstalling some apps.
If you want to monitor your battery health and get alerts when something goes wrong, I recommend using CleanMyMac’s Menu. One click and you know the most resource-consuming apps, health indicators of your battery, hard drive, and memory.
You can also check an article about increasing Mac battery life, it’s full of useful tips.
If you’re having troubles with connecting to the internet, try starting your Mac in Safe Mode and check the connection. If you’re not sure how to do that, here’s a detailed guide how to use Safe Mode.
If Wi-Fi works in Safe Mode on Mojave, then it means there’s an issue with an app or extension you installed. Make sure that all your apps are updated to the latest versions to avoid the compatibility issues. To do that quickly, use the Updater tool in CleanMyMac X utility. With its help, you can easily get the latest and the most reliable versions of all your applications.
Here’s how to use CleanMyMac’s Updater:
That’s it! Now you are up-to-date.
Some people reported that after installing Mojave, thumbnail previews of some files, such as photos and PDFs, don’t show up.
One thing you can try is removing the cache files by starting your Mac in Safe Mode, then shutting it down and restarting normally. But I recommend using CleanMyMac in this case. It helped me to get all my files previews back. After launching the app, go to System Junk to remove the caches, and then use Maintenance utility to Run Maintenance Scripts.
A zero-day vulnerability has been revealed by a security researcher Patrick Wardle just after Mojave launch. This bug can allow an attacker to use a malicious app in order to steal your personal data, such as contact details from your Mac.
Patrick highlighted it on Twitter with a video that shows how he tries to access the address book on Mojave, and failing, before running a script simulating a malicious app which finally allows to access the address book and copying the data.
As macOS security is a hot topic, probably a day-zero bug will be fixed soon, as well other Mojave bugs and issues. Meanwhile, stay tuned — I’ll update the article once Apple releases an update that addresses this problem.
With several drawbacks mentioned in this article, macOS 10.14 Mojave still looks like a great step ahead. It’s cool and more powerful than anyone thought possible. We’ll be updating this article as soon as new macOS Mojave issues get reported. Meanwhile, welcome to the Dark Side Mode!
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Are you getting ready to install macOS Mojave? Or perhaps you’ve already finished the upgrade and have started exploring the new Mojave system. In either case, you may discover that some of your favorite apps have stopped working, or are exhibiting problems that may be anything from a small annoyance to an outright showstopper.
In many cases, the apps you’re having problems with may only need to be updated to the most recent version. Likewise, you should also check that your copy of Mojave is up to date. Even if you just installed Mojave, you could be a minor revision behind.
After making sure you’re up to date, you may still have some apps with issues. To help, here is the Rocket Yard list of apps that are currently (as of Dec. 3, 2018) either not working or having known issues.
Related: Five macOS Mojave Utilities You Should Get to Know
At the end of the list, I’ve included instructions on fixing one of the most common issues for an app not to work in Mojave. And as always, if you have a problem with an app, let us know by leaving a comment, below. If you had a problem with an app and figured out a workaround, please let us know how you did it.
Adobe Apps
Some Adobe suites are still using 32-bit components, which can result in a warning message about an app not being optimized for use with your Mac. For the most part, these warning messages will not prevent the app from running.
(In many cases, upgrading to the most current version of an Adobe app will get it working with macOS Mojave.)
Apple Apps
I would like to see Apple let us know which of their apps need to be updated before installing a new OS, but for now, Apple apps are just like everyone else’s, and may need to be updated to work correctly.
Microsoft Apps
Microsoft Office for Mac 2011 and all of its components, including:
are all 32-bit apps and are no longer supported by Microsoft. There are mixed results for Office 2011 running under Mojave, although for the most part, the Office 2011 apps should be considered unreliable for serious work. It may be a good idea to plan to upgrade to a current version.
Other Apps
1Password 7.2 is compatible with Mojave, including full support for Dark Mode. However, AgileBits, the developer of 1Password, was forced to remove the auto-submit feature that would fill in the login information for a site, and enter a carriage return to submit the login credentials to the site. The change is due to Mojave’s advanced security, which restricts an app’s ability to generate virtual keystrokes. 1Password will still fill in the login credentials, but you have to manually hit the Submit button.
BetterTouchTool is causing problems for some users, and isn’t working. You can use the trick outlined in the “How to Fix Apps That Crash in Mojave” section to get it working.
Caffeine, a popular app for preventing a Mac from falling asleep, fails under macOS Mojave.
(Some apps appear to work, but on closer examination, major features of the app are no longer functioning.)
DiskWarrior 5.2 has limited support for macOS Mojave, allowing the rebuilding of external drives formatted with HFS +. APFS formatted drives can be recognized by DiskWarrior, but can’t be rebuilt. You may also need to allow the DiskWarrior app or system extension to run using the method shown in the “How to Fix Apps That Crash in Mojave” section.
iStat Menu has issues with Dark Mode, as well as some of the monitoring functions, including memory and GPU performance, under Mojave. Update to the most recent version (iStat Menu 6.3 or later) for full Mojave compatibility.
Little Snitch 4.2 or later is compatible with macOS Mojave, although it’s recommended that you upgrade to version 4.3 nightly build 5222 or later to better support Mojave’s Dark Mode.
Malwarebytes earlier than version 3.4.29 has known compatibility issues with macOS Mojave. Version 3.4.29 may have issues with Dark Mode. It’s recommended to update to version 3.5.27 or later.
Nicecast from Rogue Amoeba saw development end in early 2018. With the release of Mojave, users of Nicecast have reported the app no longer works. Rogue Amoeba recommends migrating to Audio Hijack.
Onyx, a popular system utility, requires a specific version for each Mac operating system. If you’re using Onyx, be sure and update to version 3.5.3.
Type2Phone has an issue with Mojave that causes the Mac to report the app as being damaged. To correct the issue, upgrade Type2Phone to version 3.1.1 or later.
WhatSize6.6.3 is reporting the wrong size for some volumes, files, or folders, according to some user reports.
How to Fix Apps That Crash in Mojave
Some apps under macOS Mojave fail to launch, or crash when started up. In some cases, the problem is caused by new security systems in Mojave. If the app in question is one well known to you, and you don’t suspect malicious intent, you can try these tricks to fix it or any other app that won’t launch or that crashes:
(By granting an app access to hardware or services that are restricted in Mojave, you can get older apps working again.)
Launch System Preferences by clicking or tapping its icon in the Dock, or by selecting System Preferences from the Apple menu.
In the System Preferences window, select the Security & Privacy preference pane.
Select the General tab. Near the bottom of the tab, you may see text that says, “Some system software was blocked from loading” or you could see a specific app listed as being blocked. Click the Allow button.
(Mojave blocks many apps that add system extensions to your Mac. You can enable the extensions in the Security & Privacy preference pane.)
In the dropdown sheet, place a checkmark in the box for each item you wish to allow to be loaded by the system, and then click OK.
In the Security & Privacy preference pane, select the Privacy tab.
From the sidebar, select the Accessibility item.
Check whether the app that is having issues is listed; if so, place a checkmark in its box to allow the app to run scripts that could make use of system commands that could control your Mac.
(Placing a checkmark in the box next to an app’s name will allow it to use a restricted hardware device or service.)
You should also check the Camera, Microphone, and Automation sidebar items to see if the app in question is listed; if so, you may need to grant the app access to specified hardware or services as you did with the Accessibility item.
Close System Preferences when done.
You’ll need to restart your Mac for some of these changes to occur.
Once your Mac restarts, go ahead and try the app again.
Are All Apps Having Issues?
No, most apps run without issues under macOS Mojave. We just tend to only hear about the ones that are causing problems for users. Some of the noted problems are due to new security features in Mojave, some of which can be modified by the user to get an app working again.
In the long run, developers will adapt to Mojave and release new and improved versions of their apps, to take advantage of all that Mojave has to offer. In the meantime, let us know which apps you’re having problems with by leaving a note in the comments section, below.