At WWDC 2019, Apple announced macOS Catalina after months of relentless rumors. The new generation macOS does not bring a significant change to the OS, but it has a whole lot of new handy things that make your daily tasks much easier. macOS Catalina will be available this fall, but Apple has started seeding the first beta for testing purposes. This is Apple’s traditional way of collecting and analyzing user feedback ahead of a public release.

It’s been a few days since the first beta launched worldwide, but we have already started to hear some of the problems that owners are facing with Apple’s new macOS version. That sounds fair as this is just a beta, meaning that it is still in the works.

To help you fix some of the problems with macOS Catalina, we have made a list of all the known issues and possible fixes. Note that the new macOS is now in the early stages, so it may come with bugs and errors. We don’t really recommend the beta to you. If you now have it installed on your Mac, don’t worry, we are here to help.

Installation Problems

A lot of Mac owners have reported that they cannot install the first beta of macOS Catalina. If you are one of those who have been affected by the issue, make sure you now have enough space on your Mac. The new update will take 6.46 GB of space on your computer. Also, I recommend you reboot your Mac and re-install the beta on your Mac.

 Apps not Working

Apps are crucial parts of macOS Catalina, but we have heard reports of problem apps. Indeed, a lot of Mac owner complain that some third-party apps like Twitter or Photoshop are not working after updating to macOS Catalina.

The best shot to deal with the apps not working issue is to un-install and re-install them. Plus, you can check for newer app updates as Apple now allows developers to update their apps to make them compatible with macOS Catalina.

Plus, macOS Catalina won’t support 32-bit apps at launch, so make sure your apps are now 64-bits. If you now have some 32-bit apps, try to find alternatives or go back to macOS Mojave.

Sidecar not Working

Sidecar is a cool app that lets you use your iPad as a wireless second display. This comes in handy as you can use two displays at the same time, allowing for a productivity boost. The best part is that you can draw or stretch your ideas using Apple Pencil. However, some Mac owners say that Sidebar performance is laggy or sometimes fails to work.

If you are now running into the above issues, the best solution is to reboot both your Mac and iPad and set up everything from scratch. If nothing is fixed, make sure you now have iPadOS beta installed on your iPad.

Note: Sidecar requires a modern Mac (mid-MacBook Pro 2016 or newer and late 2015 iMac or newer). If you now have an older Mac, then you are out of luck.

Connectivity Problems

Connectivity not working is a common issue as it pops up every time Apple releases a new macOS software update. And macOS Catalina is no different. To fix this issue, try rebooting your Mac and try connecting to a Wi-Fi network.

If you now have Little Snitch installed on your Mac, uninstall it. Little Snitch is a cool app that keeps your Mac safe online. However, it is not compatible with macOS Catalina, so it’s a good idea to uninstall it. Once you do that, restart your Mac to see if the problem is fixed.

App Icons Missing in the Finder

In macOS Catalina, the Finder is now the center of macOS operating system and serves as an ideal iTunes alternative. However, a lot of Mac owners have reported that their app icons go missing in the Finder while trying to transfer your data from an old Mac to a Mac running macOS Catalina.

Thankfully, there is a fix for your problem. Indeed, you first need to open the Finder on your Mac, then right-click on the Finder at the top menu, and select Preferences. After that, select the Applications favorite and remove all the app shortcuts from the left-side bar that do not display your desired apps.

iCloud Not Available in macOS Catalina

iCloud has been part of Apple’s ecosystem for years, providing users with a reliable storage service. However, there are times when it becomes a cause of annoyance, as it stops working after macOS update. And there is no exception this year.

There have been some complaints from users about iCloud not working in macOS Catalina beta 3. If you are one of those who are affected by the issue, then the best shot is to restart your device and start everything from scratch.

Accessories Not Working

We have heard complaints that some Mac fail to recognize external hard drives or other accessories like keyboard or Apple Mouse. The problem may be from your drivers, so try updating drivers on your Mac. To do this, open App Store on your Mac, then click Update, and install any available updates.

Overheating

Overheating or thermal throttling is one of the major concerns when it comes to Apple MacBook lineup. In reality, Apple has fixed this issue on modern Mac models including iMac Pro (2019) and MacBook Pro (2019). However, the problem still persists on older Mac models.

In reality, some Mac owners have reported that their Macs have overheating issues after updating to macOS Catalina. To fix this problem, try resetting SMC on your Mac. To do this, click Apple menu at the top and then select Shut Down. Now simply press Shift-Control-Option keys and the Power button at once. Keep those keys pressed for at least 10 seconds and release them. Now, press the Power button to boot up your Mac.

Run both macOS Catalina and macOS Mojave

macOS Catalina is still in the beta stages, meaning that it includes bugs and errors. In reality, you can install macOS Catalina beta alongside macOS Mojave, so you can quickly switch between the two.

Step one: First off, open Finder on your Mac and then select Utilities.

Step two: Next up, choose Disk Utility and select the internal hard disk.

Step three: Now proceed with selecting Partition at the top. Once you are in, click Partition and hit the Plus (+) button.

Step four: Now just simply enter a name for the APFS volume and hit the Add button to proceed.

Step five: Click Done and exit Disk Utility. Now, head to the Applications folder and open the macOS Catalina installer and agree to the terms and conditions.

Step six: Click Show All Disks, then select the APFS volume you created in the step above and hit Install.

Once you are done, you now can switch between macOS Catalina and macOS Mojave. To do this, restart your Mac, then quickly hold down the Option key, and select the macOS Volume you wish to boot from.

Startup Problems

A lot of apps and services start when you boot your Mac. This practice has been big part of macOS and Windows for years. While this may come in handy, one major drawback is that startup apps slow down your boot-up process. In reality, a lot of Mac users have reported that their Macs are running slow at startup after updating to macOS Catalina.

If you are dealing with the issue, then we are here to help. The easiest way to fix this is to find out if there are any startup apps or services are slowing down your device. To do this, open System Preferences, then select Users & Groups and click on Login Items. From here, you should see a list of all startup apps and check the boxes next to apps and services you wish to disable at startup.

If the problem still persists, you can use a third-party app called CleanMyMac, one of the best apps for protecting and optimizing your Mac on the market. The best part is that the free version offers an advanced cleaning functionality that helps to remove junk files from your Mac.

iCloud Login Not Working<

iCloud is a big part of Apple’s ecosystem, providing users with a reliable tool to manage and store your data. However, there are times when it stops working. In reality, we have heard complaints that some users cannot sign into iCloud after updating to macOS Catalina beta.

If you are affected by the issue, then make sure you update your Mac to the latest macOS Catalina beta update. If the problem is still there, then go back to macOS Mojave.

Desktop Icons Missing

A lot of Mac owners have reported their desktop icons suddenly disappeared in macOS Catalina. The best shot to deal with the issue is to restart your Mac. If nothing is fixed, then try finding your apps in the Finder. If they are still there, then move them to your desktop.

Trash Not Working

We have heard a lot of complaints that some Mac users cannot empty the Trash in macOS Catalina.Luckily, there is a permanent fix for this issue, which involves installing the latest macOS Catalina beta. If the problem still persists, restart your Mac and try updating your Mac again.

Battery Life Problems

The poor battery life is a major concern when it comes to Apple devices. It pops up every time Apple releases a new software update and macOS Catalina is no different. A lot of Mac owners say that their battery life is running out quickly after updating to macOS Catalina.

In reality, there could be any reason for why your battery life drains rapidly. However, one common reason lies in your problematic apps. In reality, you have a lot of apps running in the background. To fix this, open Activity Monitor on your Mac, then locate an app that is now hogging your computer’s resources and shut it down.

Wrapping Up

macOS Catalina is still in beta stages, so it includes bugs and errors. To be honest, I did not have a good experience with macOS Catalina. Apple still has a lot of work to do ahead of a public release. And I don’t recommend the beta to all users. The public beta is set for July release and serves as a refined version of the developer beta.