I can't update GarageBand

It's showing up in my late 2012 Mac mini app store as well. It's too old to install Big Sur. It automatically downloaded and installed the newest versions of the iWork apps, but Garage Band just sits there telling me an update is available it won't let me actually do!

I called Apple Support to get another Apple disappointment....I bought an iMac in 2014 and in Nov 2020, Big Sur cannot be installed because that new macOS 11 only works from models from 2014 onwards. Shame on you Apple! Even your response was offensive, 'Trade in for a new iMac'. In October, my HDD stopped working...so now with an expensive replacement....I will be stuck forever with an outdated OS. I had faith on Apple products... I have a lot....but now I don't

I have this issue as well. I have a Mid 2012 13-inch MacBook Pro, with the 2.9 GHz Dual-Core i7 processor. It's running Catalina 10.15.7. No official release of Big Sur for these machines, which is not actually that unreasonable; it's an eight-year old computer, which has had full update support for that whole period. Fair enough. The machine's performance is still great, though; and I'm not planning an imminent upgrade. That having been said, I want the bug where it tries to instal an incompatible upgrade (GarageBand for Big Sur) onto a computer with Catalina before failing every time and leaving a notification showing a pending update in the App Store is insanely irritating. Please resolve this, Apple.

OK. I've managed to get rid of the annoying update badge (using TimeMachine only) on my iMac Late 2013 running Catalina 10.15.7.

First, make sure you have a TimeMachine backup which includes GarageBand 10.3.5 (or make one).

Second, delete the GarageBand App** by dragging the App icon in Launchpad to the trash. Restart your machine and the red badge will no longer be showing in the App Store icon.

Third, now open a Finder window, select Applications and then enter TimeMachine.

Fourth, Select the latest backup and the finder window will show that last backup's Applications window.

Lastly, scroll down and right click on the GarageBand App icon and choose restore. when it asks "where to" select your Applications folder.

GarageBand will then re-installed and be ready to use.

Obviously, make sure you have backed up all your projects before attempting this.

** do NOT delete this App without a backup as you will NOT be able to re-download it from the App Store.

You should not be seeing the update notice on a Mac with 10.15.7 .

The current version at the AppStore is solely for systems, that have been upgraded to Big Sur, macOS 11. It cannot run on Catalina.

Currently Apple's servers are bogged down by the attempts to download and install macOS 11 Big Sur. The installer is gigantic and creating a lot of network traffic. I'd wait, until the upgrade rush is over , if you are planning to upgrade to macOS 11 Big Sur. Once you have the new system installed, try again to upgrade GarageBand.

I'm getting the same issue. Catalina is version 10. This error shouldn't exist, nor should an update notice be given if the installer was intelligent enough to realize that an OS version 10 is not an OS version 11, which the update is for.

Here we are again in 2020 with Apple now not giving power bricks to new iPhone12 owners, and now this.

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So, I deleted my version of GarageBand to make space for Big Sur only to find that I still don't have enough space on my 2020 MacBook Pro. Now I can't download GarageBand because it is not compatible with Catalina 10.15.7. Any thoughts?

Restore GarageBand from your Time Machine backup. You cannot recover GarageBand from the AppStore, as long a you have not upgraded to the current system version Big Sur. Since the introduction of the AppStore we have to keep our system version updated to the current version, to be able to reinstall applications from the APpStore.

There is no guarantee, that we will be able to download older versions of an application, once the AppStore is offering a newer version of an app for the current system.

To be able to reinstall our apps, we have to keep diligently a backup of the applications that are compatible with our current system, as the AppStore keeps moving on, and one day our Mac may be too old to keep up with the newer systems, or we may not want to upgrade to the most recent system version, because it may render expensive applications incompatible.

It is a bit annoying that the  > Storage > Manage Storage panel does not tell us, which applications can safely be removed temporarily, because they can be downloaded again from the AppStore. If I need to remove an app to free storage, I would always make sure I have a backup, before deleting it.

Storage isn’t the issue for most of us. The problem is our Macs are too old to update to Big Sur, but the Garage Band update (which relies on Big Sur being installed) still appears in the App Store. Granted it’s not a major issue, but it’s annoying that it can’t be removed as it is impossible to proceed with the update.

Too old perhaps but still capable.

Model Name: MacBook Pro

Model Identifier: MacBookPro9,2

Processor Name: Dual-Core Intel Core i7

Processor Speed: 2.9 GHz

16 gb RAM

512 gb SSD

Machine is more than capable of running Big Sur.

My app icon just cleared. I ran Trend Micro's Cleaner One Pro (free edition) and scanned. Cleared junk files. When I launched app store there were no updates available and the Garageband for Big Sur disappeared. Not sure if Cleaner One Pro did this or if it was the App store servers clearing their cache or something.

It has nothing to do with whether the hardware is capable - it's whether Apple can be arsed to keep its customers on board.

The ONLY reason I'm still on Apple hardware is because I get it from work. My own Mac Mini(s) (2009/2012) are no longer supported. But I can still run Windows on my 2005 laptop.

Apple is working hard on alienating its core customers. The hardware is becoming ever more expensive - so where are the economies of scale? Or applying new technology more intelligently?

No - let's merge iOS and OsX until they're indistinguishable. Let's retire technology long before it is obsolete - and hope the suckers keep paying a premium to have Apple hardware?

I don't want a desktop that looks like my mobile phone. I know my mobile phone will never replace my desktop. Get real!

It might not be so bad if the experience was flawless, but it clearly isn't. And there is no forum where Apple take criticism from its customers seriously.

Same problem. As a result of upgrading to Catalina I can no longer use GarageBand and there's no way to download a compatible version. Ridiculous. Apple should not abandon users with equipment that works well. There should be link available to download a compatible version. I don't need to the latest version just the one that will work with Catalina.

...following up on my previous post... I contacted Apple support and the tech was able to walk me through several steps to help me upgrade to Big Sur and reinstall GarageBand. While I appreciated the 20 minutes they spent helping me, I had to delete several files to clear up space for the install. Good thing I have everything backed up. If I didn't own so many Mac products, I would probably consider switching to another platform.