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What Is macOS?

Everything you need to know about macOS updates

By Rob LeFebvre Rob LeFebvre Associate Editorial Director, News UCLA California State University, Northridge Rob LeFebvre is the Associate Editorial Director, News for Lifewire. He has been a technology writer for more than 12 years with articles appearing in 148Apps, Cult of Mac, Engadget, and more. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on October 24, 2022 Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email

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Expand Jump to a Section Ventura Monterey Big Sur Catalina Mojave High Sierra Sierra More About macOS Apple's macOS is the operating system for the MacBook, MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, Mac Pro, and Mac mini. The latest version is macOS 13 Ventura.

macOS 13 Ventura

Release date: October 24, 2022 MacOS 13 Ventura, named for the California coastal city famous for its beaches, surfers, and windsurfers, is the 19th major release of the Mac operating system. The operating system adds new continuity features and powerful productivity tools to take the Mac experience to a new level of performance. Stage Manager is a new feature that automatically organizes open files and apps on the desktop so users can better focus on the main window they are working in instead of dozens of open windows begging for attention. Stage Manager puts the main window squarely in the center of the screen and groups other open files and apps into small icons on the left side of the screen. Mac Mail receives an enormous overhaul in Ventura. Finally, senders can schedule emails and cancel delivery. In addition, users can opt to return to a message at a specific date and time and receive prompts to follow up on an email after no response. Continuity is a central feature of the macOS and increases the options for interacting with more than one of your Apple devices when convenient. Take a call on your iPhone? When you get near your Mac, you get a prompt to switch to the bigger screen. Plus, a new Handoff feature for FaceTime makes it easy to pass a FaceTime call from an iPhone to an iPad or Mac. The Continuity Camera feature also means users can use the phone as a webcam for their Macs.
Additional new features include: Edit or delete messages sent via iMessageShared tab groupsPasskeys that replace passwords in SafariiCloud shared photo libraryNew Clock and Weather appsEnhanced smart folders in NotesSpotlight improvementsImproved gaming experienceLive text for videosCalming background sounds How to Upgrade to macOS Ventura

macOS 12 Monterey

Release date: October 25, 2021
Apple Named for the city of Monterey on California's rugged central coast, macOS Monterey is the 18th major release of the Mac operating system. It builds on the robust foundation of Big Sur and is loaded with enhancements. Universal Control addresses the long-awaited desire to control side-by-side Macs and iPads with a single mouse, trackpad, and keyboard. Improvements abound in the Mac core apps. Messages has a convenient Save button for Photos; Apple Books was upgraded with Reading Goals, Reading Now, and Want to Read features. Safari has a major redesign that includes a streamlined tab bar, tab groups, and iCloud Private Relay. This service ensures the traffic leaving your Mac is encrypted so it can't be intercepted and used. FaceTime audio and video received an extensive update. In group FaceTime calls, you and the other participants can watch TV and movies together or listen to music. Synced playback means you can pause, fast-forward or jump to a new screen, and the change occurs on all the call participants' screens in real-time. A few new features require a Mac with Apple's M1 chip. These include a portrait mode on FaceTime, on-device dictation of any length without a time out, spatial audio, an interactive globe, and new city experiences for the Maps app.
Additional new features include: Digital Legacy to pass down data such as photos and videos to trusted friends or family members after you are gone An "Erase all content and settings" feature for the Mac like the one on the iPhone Addition of microphone and camera indicators New iCloud Shared folder in the Finder Low Power Mode for Bluetooth devices A dedicated password manager in System Preferences Shortcuts app added to the Mac

macOS 11 Big Sur

Release date: November 12, 2020 Named for the mountainous region in central California, macOS 11 Big Sur is the 17th major release of the Mac operating system. Unveiled at WWDC20, the new design of macOS Big Sur is stunningly beautiful and iOS-like familiar. Unlike Catalina, which delivered minor improvements over Mojave, macOS Big Sur embodies the most significant changes to the Apple operating system in years. One notable difference is that it allows the new M1-chip Macs to run iPad and iPhone apps directly on the Mac. Here are other changes you'll find: The iOS Control Center makes its debut on Macs with Big Sur. The Calendar, Mail, Photos, and Messages apps have long-awaited redesigns. Safari produces a privacy report for any website you visit using its Intelligent Tracking feature and monitors your passwords to prevent a data breach. Maps' new features include its answer to Google's Street view, entitled Look Around, and Guides from trusted resources. The key new features include: Safari is 50 percent faster than ChromeThe Control CenterCustomizable widgets in the notifications menuSupports iOS apps on M-1 chip MacsSpacial audio support for AirPods ProMaps app Look Around capabilityImproved group messaging in Messages How to Update a Mac

macOS 10 15 Catalina

Released: October 7, 2019 Apple, Inc. Announced in June 2019 at WWDC, macOS 10 15 Catalina (named for the island off the coast of California) is the 16th major release of the computer operating system. It's the first version of macOS to support 64-bit applications only and became a free update to all Mac users in September of 2019. It features a new development system called Catalyst, allowing developers to target macOS Catalina and iPadOS with the same app. Voice control continues Apple's quest to let you control your Mac with your voice. Here are other changes that Apple made in Catalina: Sidecar lets you use an iPad as a second screen through AirDisplay or AirParrot. It split iTunes into three new apps: Music, Podcasts, and Apple TV. The Finder manages iOS devices that connect to your Mac. Find My Mac and Find My Friends merged into a new app called Find My. Reminders handle attachments, and Siri is more intelligent about when to notify you. It removed the widget app Dashboard. These are the key new features: 64-bit applications onlyCatalyst appsSidecar iPad second screeniTunes breakupFind My app

macOS 10 14 Mojave

Released: September 24, 2018 macOS 10.14, or Mojave, was initially announced in June of 2018 at WWDC and released on September 24th that same year. Named for California's Mojave Desert, macOS 10.14 brought iOS apps Apple News, Voice Memos, and Home to the Mac desktop. It also included a better dark mode and was the last version of macOS to support 32-bit applications (you'll receive a notification when attempting to use these). The Finder got a new view for file metadata and a new Gallery View to browse files visually. When you take a screenshot, the image appears briefly in the corner of the screen, similar to iOS. macOS Mojave also added video capability to its screenshot tool. Mojave includes Group FaceTime, which lets you chat with up to 32 people at once using video or audio from your Mac, iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch. Safari, Apple's web browser, added tracking protection and sent less information about your system to websites. It can create strong passwords for new online accounts, store them, and autofill forms. The Mac App Store was rebuilt with a new interface and editorial content, bringing it in line with the iOS App Store. There's a new Discover tab and Create, Work, Play, and Develop tabs for easier app discovery. News, Stocks, Voice Memos, and Home (for HomeKit automation) apps came over from iOS with this release. Key new features include: Four iOS appsImproved dark modeGallery viewGroup FaceTimeMac App Store improvements

macOS 10 13 High Sierra

Released: September 25, 2017 Tatsuo Yamashita / CC By 2.0 / Flickr Named for the High Sierra mountain region in California, macOS 10.13 was the 14th release of macOS. This sequel to the previous OS, Sierra (10.12), offered performance and technical updates rather than a complete overhaul. Apple replaced the HFS Plus file system with a new Apple File System, which supported technologies like 64-bit inode numbers and flash memory to speed up everyday file-related tasks like duplicating, finding, and backing up files. Here are other notable changes: The low-level graphics API Metal got its second release as Metal 2, adding virtual reality and machine learning features and support for external graphics cards.Photos got an updated sidebar, new editing tools, and the ability to sync photos with tagged People with iOS 11.Mail got a new Spotlight search called Top Hits and a 35 percent improvement in storage space.Safari added machine learning to block third-party trackers and the ability to block autoplay videos. Reader mode could be set to on permanently.The Notes app got support for tables, and users could now pin notes to the top of their list.Siri gained a more natural voice and a machine-learning boost to its artificial intelligence. Key new features include: Apple File SystemMetal 2 graphicsNew Photos featuresBetter storage in MailTables in NotesMore expressive, smarter Siri

macOS 10 12 Sierra

Released: September 20, 2016 iphonedigital / CC By 2.0 / Flickr macOS 10.12 Sierra, named for the Sierra Nevada region in California, was the first Macintosh operating system called macOS. It took over for OS X El Capitan (also named after a well-known California geographical feature). First announced in June 2016, macOS Sierra came as a free update to El Capitan in September. It brought a host of features that exist in macOS today, including: The first Desktop iteration of SiriiCloud Drive with optimized storageAuto-unlock for the MacTabbed interfaces for all supporting appsPicture-in-picture mode to watch videos while doing other workThe first support for Apple File SystemNight Shift, a function that reduces blue light from the screen during nighttime hours Apps got new features, including: Improved face recognition and new object and scene recognition for Photos power the Memories photo groups.Safari got new developer tools that supported extensions connecting with third-party apps.Apple Pay got web-based buttons in Safari that let you complete purchases with your iPhone or Apple Watch.Messages got bigger emojis and tap-back features, along with the ability to play YouTube videos and preview web links.The Mac Messages app lets you see iOS 10 additions to iMessage and allow you to toggle read receipts on and off per conversation.iTunes got a new For You tab and a lyric feature for its MiniPlayer.Notes let you share and collaborate on specific Notes. Key new features include: Siri on the desktopiCloud DrivePicture-in-picture modeNight ShiftApple Pay on the webiMessage integrations

More About macOS

macOS is a continuation of Mac OS X (later called OS X, pronounced oh-ess-ten), initially released in 2001. It is built on Unix and shares many under-the-hood similarities to Unix and Linux, most notably multiuser support, preemptive multitasking, and access to the system using Terminal. OS X was renamed in 2016 as macOS 10 12 Sierra to match Apple's other operating systems like iOS, watchOS, and tvOS. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire The History of iOS, from Version 1.0 to 16.0 How to Change Screen Timeout on Mac How to Upgrade to macOS Ventura How to Make a Bootable Flash Installer of OS X or macOS How to AirPlay From a Mac to a TV How to Activate the iPhone Debug Console or Web Inspector How to Update Your MacBook Pro How to Fix the Most Common macOS 11 Big Sur Issues Should I Upgrade to macOS Monterey? macOS Big Sur Compatibility: Will Your Device Work With It? How to Group FaceTime on iOS and Mac How to Scan From Printer to Computer iOS 15: Release Date, Features, and Supported Devices How to Download FaceTime for Mac, iOS, and More The iPadOS Versions Guide How to Connect iPhone to Mac Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies