Cannot update safari past 11.1.2 on High Sierra

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Level 1

34 points

Cannot update safari past 11.1.2 on High Sierra

There is no software update pane in System Preferences, no Safari in the App Store, and no setting to check for updates in Safari. I am 100% sure I am using High Sierra 10.13.8 and that Safari shows as 11.1.2 from 2018 (last compatible however is 13.1.2 from 2020).

Not worth reinstalling the entire OS again, unless I can manually update it from a virtual High Sierra installer disk. Not a big deal however since I don't use it often, usually just Snow Leopard (for specific apps and functionality) and Monterey as my latest.

SWL iMac 27" (2011), iMac 27″

Posted on Jun 19, 2023 2:46 PM

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Answer 1

SWLinPHX Author

Level 1

34 points

Jun 19, 2023 3:30 PM in response to andre_tech_enth

Thanks, but as I just stated above Safari is not in the App Store on Mac. They stopped putting it there some while back because it is meant as an update included only with macOS updates.

It should have automatically updated with the first (or final) High Sierra update. But since High Sierra has not been updated in some time and probably won't be (unless there is a security update) I'll probably be stuck with Safari 11.1.2.

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Answer 2

SWLinPHX Author

Level 1

34 points

Jun 19, 2023 10:54 PM in response to andre_tech_enth

No, it's just a glitch. I have several Macs, iMacs, MacBook Pro's etc. running different versions or two on different partitions. This is just one on a 2011 iMac I use for Snow Leopard mostly but boot up in High Sierra, and on a MacBook where I did the same thing a security patch just updated today and updated Safari. It doesn't matter though because I don't usually boot the 2011 iMac in High Sierra. Usually run Snow Leopard for legacy software I need and screen share it with a 2019 iMac beside it running Monterey which is my primary. No biggie but just thought I'd ask.

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Answer 3

jondear

Level 1

17 points

Nov 30, 2023 6:14 AM in response to SWLinPHX

Hi, I think you mean you are using High Sierra 10.13.6, which is the last version. I am also looking for Safari 13.1.2, which I have running on two other old Macs each also with High Sierra 10.13.6. Obviously I need the installer which was available at one time on the Apple site, but for some reason they have pulled.

I tried reinstalling a fresh new High Sierra 10.13.6, plus all the security updates, from 2020-002 to 2020-006, all of which are still available on the APple site. But Safari stubbornly remains at 11.1.2.

Does anyone know of a link to the updater from 11.1.2 to 13.1.2? I'd appreciate it, so would a lot of other people.

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Answer 4

jondear

Level 1

17 points

Nov 30, 2023 6:59 AM in response to jondear

As far as I can tell, there were 4 Safari 13 releases for High Sierra: Safari 13.0.5 coinciding with Security Update 2020-001 HS, Jan 28, 2020; Safari 13.1 coinciding with Security Update 2020-002 HS, Mar 24, 2020; Safari 13.1.1 coinciding with Security Update 2020-003 HS, May 26, 2020; and Safari 13.1.2 coinciding with Security Update 2020-004 HS, Jul 15, 2020;

I applied all of those security updates to a fresh 10.13.6 install, and Safari remained at 11.1.2, so there must have been separate Safari updates which were taken off the site, while the other security updates remained.

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Answer 5

jondear

Level 1

17 points

Dec 1, 2023 5:03 AM in response to SWLinPHX

Hi, As far as I can tell, the only way to get to the Safari 13.1.2 updater is to do a FRESH (or clean) reinstall of the OS. Even reinstalling over your existing 10.13.6 OS doesn't trigger the Apple Software update server. And the Safari updater is not available on Apple's Software download page, which is strange as that page goes back to 2018, and the Safari update was published on 15th July 2020, as a separate download, still available from Apple's servers, but only after a clean install of 10.13.6.

This isn't great news, as you'd have to reinstall ALL your existing software. And there is not migrate option that I can find. Would be great if there was.

PS: Both of my previous comments say I did a FRESH install, but I didn't. I reinstalled OVER my existing 10.13.6. That doesn't trigger Apple's server to offer the Safari 13.1.2 option.

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Answer 6

Jun 19, 2023 2:53 PM in response to SWLinPHX

Did you tried to go to the app store>updates? It usually appears there

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Answer 7

Jun 19, 2023 3:47 PM in response to SWLinPHX

Well if it’s not in the app store it means that there are no newer version of safari for MacOS High Sierra, you need to get a new Mac or update this to newer version using some tools

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Cannot update safari past 11.1.2 on High Sierra

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