Is your Mac running macOS 11 Big Sur? Find out...

It feels like we’re just days away from the full release of macOS 11 Big Sur. Apple’s next-generation operating system is in its tenth developer beta and is getting closer and closer to general availability.

The last seven versions of macOS were released in either September or October, with the OS X 10.9 (Mavericks) release on October 22nd being the latest in the year of all of those releases. This year has obviously raised its own unique challenges, but it seems likely that Big Sur is about to release.

My colleague Dave Phelan wrote a brilliant piece that explains many of the new features in macOS 11. Then, if you check the software update settings every day and wait for the new operating system to start working, you may want to first check that your Mac is compatible with macOS 11.

Apple is very good at supporting older Macs with new operating system versions, but each new version increases the drawbridge on some older systems.

Macs that can run Big Sur

So here is the final list of systems macOS 11 can run on:

MacBook – early 2015 or newer

MacBook Air – Mid 2013 or newer

Macbook Pro – Late 2013 or newer

Mac Mini – Late 2014 or newer

iMac – Mid 2014 or newer

iMac Pro – all versions

Mac Pro – Late 2013 or newer

It’s important to note that even if it’s on the compatible list, your Mac may not support all of its features or run the new operating system very well. As your Mac nears its deadline (i.e. you’re using a 2013 MacBook Air), it’s unlikely that performance will sparkle on MacOS 11.

It’s also worth noting that macOS 11 will be the first version of the Apple operating system to support Macs based on Apple silicon as well as Intel processors. Although Apple has pledged to continue supporting Macs with Intel processors in the coming years, it is unlikely to continue supporting them for the next seven years, unlike some older Macs that are still supported by macOS 11.