There are many new features that we can see in macOS Big Sur, since in more than two decades since OS X, it has reached macOS 11. However, it must be said that not everything is perfect, since some important problems have been found that they may end up resulting in data loss for some users who have little space on their Mac before installing that version. Below we will tell you everything so that you do not have any problem when updating to that version, if you have not already done so.
What you should know if you are on macOS Catalina or earlier
If your Mac is compatible with the new versions of macOS 11 (we are now on 11.2), you can update regardless of whether you are in a version of Catalina, Mojave, High Sierra or earlier. However, you should check how much space you have left on the disk, which can be checked by going to the Apple menu on the top bar and clicking on “About this Mac”. Once you are in this section, you must go to the “Storage” tab to see how much space you have left.
And what is the reason for this recommendation? Well, as echoed by 9to5Mac , some users have reported data loss after moving from a software version prior to Big Sur to this one. Unlike other versions of the operating system, this one does not automatically check the free space on the disk so that it is sufficient for the installation and what the computer does is overwrite certain data if there is not enough space to make way for updating, thereby leaving some of that data unrecoverable. This version requires a minimum of 35.5 GB of storage to install without problems, although if you accept our advice, do not leave only that amount of memory and try to leave even more space.
Does it matter if it is a MacBook, iMac or any other?
Yes, unfortunately this bug is present on all types of Mac computers and the procedure to install the Big Sur versions requires the same. While it may not be a problem for many users, the truth is that owners of MacBook 128GB or 256GB could face a significant problem in terms of having to free up space for Big Sur. Our advice in these cases is to try to store data in the cloud or on an external storage device compatible with Mac.
Is Apple expected to fix it?
Once these cases are becoming known and taking into account that there are already some users who have reported it directly to Apple, it would be expected that the company would solve this issue by making its new versions of software not ‘eat’ data storage space that they are saved on the computer. However, there is no official confirmation that this will be solved and there are no guarantees that it will happen, so we advise you to take into account the comments in previous points and try to secure your data so that it is not lost after updating.