Apple has finally released macOS Monterey for all users. And like previous years, Apple’s servers will likely 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 Monterey update via System Preferences or Mac App Store, it’s still probable.

Install macOS Monterey on Mac [Direct Download]

Thus, many users would still look for direct download links for Monterey, 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 Monterey directly from the Apple server instead of via the MAS/System Preferences, using your favorite web browser or a dedicated download manager.

Note: This post is specific to macOS Monterey direct download from Apple servers. For other macOS and OS X releases, check our earlier articles in this series.

 
Download and install macOS Monterey without MAS / Software Update

In macOS, whenever you download a new system update, some package files are downloaded to your computer, and then processed by the Software Update utility, to convert them into an executable “.app” file.

In this workaround, we’re going to directly download the raw package from the Apple server using a web browser or a suitable download manager. Then, we’ll run the package file to extract the “Install macOS Monterey.app” executable file. Once extracted, we’ll run the executable to install the update locally.

 
macOS Monterey Direct Download

Step 1: Download the following file from the respective URL provided below.

macOS Monterey 12.1 (21C52) / December 13, 2021 (Updated)

macOS Monterey InstallAssistant.pkg file download URL: https://swcdn.apple.com/content/downloads/06/34/002-42435-A_MA7OBDUK86/6xzypeod1xebasc92qkw2iv44e1j9pv09f/InstallAssistant.pkg

Step 2: Run the package file by double-clicking it.

Once the package is fully downloaded, simply double-click on the file and follow the installation wizard. You would be asked to enter the system (Mac) password.

When the installation is completed, go to the Applications directory (/Users/[username]/Applications/) on your Mac by opening Finder and clicking on Go >> Applications from the menu bar. You should be able to find the “Install macOS Monterey.app” file in there. To install the update, simply run the installer.

 
Is the workaround genuine?

In this workaround, we are downloading the required resources from the Apple Server and running the package to create the macOS Installer. So yes, it is as genuine as the official method.

If you are downloading the macOS package files from third-party sources, you can verify whether it’s the original, by comparing their MD5 hash value.

MD5: 003220143d0014f88fb2edcce036f1a3
SHA 256: 9630e14e5142937a08bc01dea96fead4477e5722fa8390d712ecae318acaf476

 
macOS Monterey Bootable Installer (macOS Monterey DMG)

Now that you have the “Install macOS Monterey.app” installer, you can upgrade multiple Macs to the latest version using the same file. However, if you are looking to perform a fresh installation, you need to create a bootable installer for Monterey.

The bootable image for Monterey (SharedSupport.dmg) is located within its “.app” file. To get the SharedSupport.dmg (aka. InstallESD.dmg) file, right-click on “Install macOS Monterey.app”, select “Show Package Contents” option, and browse to the “Contents/SharedSupport/” folder.

Alternatively, the bootable installer for macOS Monterey may be directly created from the “.app” file using the “createinstallmedia” command, as suggested by Apple.

If this workaround has helped you to get macOS Monterey easily or saved your Internet bandwidth on single or multiple installations, let us know in the comments below.