Following its release late last week, complaints are pouring in that updating to macOS Monterey is bricking older Macs. This renders the computers completely inoperable.

Understandably, users aren’t happy about this. According to several posts on the Apple Support Communities, users claim they were attempting to update their older Macs to macOS Monterey and the Mac went completely black and refused to power on thereafter. Twitter is also abuzz with such reports. The devices most affected by this include the older MacBook Pros, Mac minis, and iMacs. Apple Silicon-powered Macs seem to be unaffected.

MacOS Monterrey completely bricked my new work Macbook. The second you commit to updating, it freezes the machine and forces a hard reset. This has happened 3 times now. @AppleSupport

— Detroit vs. Everybody (@wari0world) October 29, 2021

Don't update to Monterey until it's fully stable!!! My MBA (early 2015) will automatically turn off after 5min or sometimes even while it's booting. Now it's not usable… 😟😥@AppleSupport @Apple #Apple #MacBookAir #Monterey pic.twitter.com/H10DFi9uWT

— Akhil NJ (@nj10_Akhil) October 30, 2021

@Apple So, installing #macOSMonterey literally killed my 2020 16in #MacBookPro . No boot. No nothing. Dead. 18mo old… How long is it supposed to work these days? 🙁
Guys, update at your own risks…

— Freddy Mini (@freddymini) October 26, 2021

@AppleSupport hello, I really need assistance, was updating my macbook pro and it shut off and I can’t turn it back on

— Taltos 🇨🇦🇮🇹🇪🇺🏳️‍🌈 (@taltos_mi) October 25, 2021

@AppleSupport ever since downloading Monterey OS my macbook pro doesn’t turn on anymore 🥲

— Chloë ✨ (@Susuyachan) October 31, 2021

Apple is no stranger to such complaints. Last year, similar bricking incidents were reported after the launch of macOS Big Sur. A possible solution being passed around is that users may need to revive or restore the bricked Mac’s firmware. Apple’s support document reads, “In very rare circumstances, such as a power failure during a macOS update or upgrades, a Mac may become unresponsive and so the firmware must be revived or restored.” Apple support also tweeted a response to one person.

Thanks for reaching out. We’d like to help with this. Is your Mac getting stuck on a screen with an Apple logo and a progress bar? If so, try these steps: https://t.co/kMWlsJ8mg1

DM us for more help or if the computer is acting differently. https://t.co/GDrqU22YpT

— Apple Support (@AppleSupport) October 29, 2021

Our Take

This issue highlights just how important it is to back up your files and create Time Machine backups before you update the OS on your Mac. On the bright side, the issue does not seem to be as widespread as last year.

We suggest holding off on the update if you are uncertain about how your Mac will respond to the update. You could play it safe and wait for the first few versions of fixes before updating.

Was your Mac bricked by updating to macOS Monterey? Please share your experience with us in the comments below!