Check Which macOS Versions Your Mac Is Compatible With

Unlike Windows PCs, Apple uses a straightforward naming scheme with its Mac lineup. The product names remain unchanged, with the company differentiating them based on the year they launched.

But if you are not the tech-savvy type, it can become difficult to ascertain which Mac model you own and which macOS releases it supports.

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If you find yourself in a similar situation, read the guide below to learn how to find out which macOS versions your Mac is compatible with.

How to Find Out Which Mac You Own and the macOS Version Installed on It

Before finding the macOS builds compatible with your Mac, you must know which Mac model you own and its current OS version. That will make it easier to determine the latest macOS version to which you can update the machine.

Now that you know which Mac you own, you need to find out the macOS versions compatible with it. You can find the newest macOS build for a particular OS release fromApple’s support page.

macOS Ventura software preview

How to Check Your Mac’s Compatibility With a macOS Version

Apart from updating to the latest macOS release, you might also want to know the previous OS versions your Mac is compatible with if you are looking to downgrade for some reason.

Unlike Windows, Apple does not provide any macOS compatibility checker tool to simplify the entire process. So, you will have to manually go through the compatibility list of each macOS release to find out if your Mac is compatible with it.

About This Mac in macOS showing the software version

Below is the compatibility list of the three recent macOS releases:

macOS Ventura-Compatible Macs

Apple started rolling out macOS Ventura in October 2022, and here are all the Macs that it officially supports:

The latest release of the OS,macOS Ventura, packs several new featureslike Stage Manager, an improved Mail app, Passkeys, and more.

Demonstration of macOS Ventura on a MacBook Pro

macOS Monterey-Compatible Macs

The macOS Monterey update came out in October 2021 and is compatible with the following Macs:

you may find a more detailed breakdown of macOS Monterey-compatible Macs onApple’s support page.

Mac Pro running macOS Monterey

Remember that newer Macs are not compatible with macOS builds released before their launch due to driver issues. it’s possible to only roll back your Mac to the macOS version it initially launched with—all older builds would be incompatible with it.

macOS Big Sur-Compatible Macs

Apple released macOS Big Sur in November 2020 for the following Macs:

If your Mac is running a newer macOS version, like macOS Monterey or macOS Ventura, and you want to install macOS Big Sur, check out the different ways you candowngrade your Mac to an older version of macOS.

Compatibility List of Older macOS Releases

you’re able to find links to the compatibility page of previous macOS releases from Apple below to determine if your Mac supports them or not. However, we’ve listed them here to make it easier.

Your Mac Will Automatically Receive the Latest OS Updates

Remember that your Mac will receive updates as long as Apple supports it. So, if a new macOS version has been released but is not showing up on your Mac, it likely means your Mac has reached its end of life.

Without an official macOS compatibility checker tool, it is a bit difficult to determine Apple’s software releases that your Mac supports. But we hope this article sorted that issue for you.

Before installing macOS Ventura, follow these steps to make sure your Mac is ready for the upgrade.

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