Can I still use iMovie on Catalina 10.15.7?

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Can I still use iMovie on Catalina 10.15.7?

MacOS Catalina 10.15.7; when I try to launch iMovie (version 9.0.5), it says "In order to use iMovie, you need to update to the latest version" and offers to search the app store; when I do that, the version of iMovie shown requires MacOS 11.5.1 or later. This is on a MacBook Air purchased in 2012. I don't think it is possible to update to that level of MacOS on this laptop. Is there any way I can still use iMovie on this laptop? Thanks.

MacBook Air 13″, macOS 10.15

Posted on May 2, 2023 11:40 AM

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Answer 1

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Rich839

Level 8

47,700 points

May 3, 2023 5:09 PM in response to dhcox57

Since you at one time had iMovie on your Mac, you can update iMovie to the latest version that Catalina can run. This assumes that the original iMovie was acquired with the same Apple I.D. that you are now using.

The procedure is as follows: To update/redownload iMovie 10, drag your iMovie 10 app from the Applications

folder into the trash, but do not empty the trash. (In your case you can skip that step since iMovie is no longer on your Mac.) So, just sign in to the app store and open your purchases folder by clicking on your name at the bottom of the app store side bar. You will see your purchases displayed, including iMovie 10.Redownload/update iMovie from there.

-- Rich

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Answer 2

Rich839

Level 8

47,700 points

May 2, 2023 12:53 PM in response to dhcox57

iMovie 9 has been discontinued and cannot be updated or used in Catalina.

Have you ever had iMovie on your computer? If you ever had iMovie 10 on your computer, even if you later lost or deleted it, you can obtain a download of the highest iMovie version that your OS Catalina can run. I believe that iMovie would have been preloaded on your Mac at the time that you purchased your Mac.

-- Rich

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Answer 3

Rich839

Level 8

47,700 points

May 2, 2023 1:01 PM in response to Rich839

Adding to my previous post, Catalina would be able to run iMovie versions 10.1.12, 10.1.16, 10.2.3 and 10.2.5.

You could probably find downloadable version of the above from third party websites. However, such websites are unauthorized by Apple and are not recommended due to the dangers of malware.

-- Rich

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Answer 4

dhcox57 Author

Level 1

6 points

May 3, 2023 1:04 PM in response to Rich839

iMovie was indeed preloaded on my Mac when I bought it. I've been using it for years. Some time ago, I got the same message about needing to update to a later version, and I don't remember what I did but it worked after that. Now it doesn't. I appreciate the info in your response. I wish that Apple would provide the older versions but it's not a perfect world.

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Answer 5

dhcox57 Author

Level 1

6 points

May 4, 2023 10:51 AM in response to dhcox57

That's great news. I am very grateful for your help. Now I must confess to a "slap on the forehead -- d'oh!!" moment. I was curious how I ended up with a version 9 iMovie when I must have have had version 10 on this mac at some point. So I did a search just now and found a version 10 that works fine; when I had searched the applications folder before, I opened up the iMovie folder and accessed the old version in there, rather than scrolling down past the folders to the list of applications below. It's hard to believe but I have a B.S. in compsci and worked 25 years in the field. I have used a Mac since 1985 (the "fatmac" because it had 512k ram rather than 256k, IIRC). Rarely have I have made a misstep like this before. No more than once a week, anyway 8>)

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Answer 6

Rich839

Level 8

47,700 points

May 4, 2023 11:03 AM in response to dhcox57

😊 It happens to all of us.

-- Rich

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Answer 7

Jul 3, 2024 6:58 PM in response to dhcox57

I have tried trashing the older iMovie version, abd following the additional instructions, but iMovie still won't open.

Suggestions?

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Can I still use iMovie on Catalina 10.15.7?

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