(How) Can I buy a Big Sur App in the App Store, when still on Catalina?

Tech Support
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1

Codeshot is free today as part of App Santa.

However, this App requires macOS Big Sur and I’m still on Catalina (IT won’t let me upgrade).

(How) Can I buy this Big Sur App in the App Store, when still on Catalina?

If I try I get this:

We could not complete your purchase.

Codeshot can’t be installed on “Macintosh HD” because macOS version 11 or later is required.

(the App does not appear in my purchases afterwards)

2

One way would be to clone to an external drive, install Big Sur on it, buy the app, then go back to using the internal drive.

3

Would that method also work with a flash drive?

4

Option 1: VM

VMware Fusion 12 is free for personal use.

  1. Download Big Sur installer
  2. Point VMware at Big Sur installer
  3. Run Big Sur in VM
  4. Buy App
  5. Delete Big Sur VM if you need the drive space, otherwise keep it around in case another need pops up.

Option 2: Friend with Big Sur

  1. Find a friend who has a Mac running Big Sur
  2. Ask them to create a user account on it that you can connect to your Apple ID
  3. Sign in with your Apple ID and buy the app
  4. Friend can delete your user account if they need the drive space back.
1 Like
5

Probably but it could be painfully slow. Flash drives weren’t really meant to be boot drives.

6

My machine is under MDM; I cannot even execute the Big Sur installer… :cry:

7

Or, you can just use free alternative to Codeshot