Mac os build version

How to get old versions of macOS

If your Mac isn’t compatible with the latest macOS, you might still be able to upgrade to an earlier macOS, such as macOS Catalina, Mojave, High Sierra, Sierra, or El Capitan.

To get the latest features and maintain the security, stability, compatibility, and performance of your Mac, it’s important to keep your software up to date. Apple recommends that you always use the latest macOS that is compatible with your Mac.

Check compatibility

The version of macOS that came with your Mac is the earliest version it can use. For example, if your Mac came with macOS Big Sur, it will not accept installation of macOS Catalina or earlier.

If a macOS can’t be used on your Mac, the App Store or installer will let you know. For example, it might say that it’s not compatible with this device or is too old to be opened on this version of macOS. To confirm compatibility before downloading, check the minimum hardware requirements:

Download macOS using Safari on your Mac

Safari uses these links to find the old installers in the App Store. After downloading from the App Store, the installer opens automatically.

• macOS Catalina 10.15 can upgrade Mojave, High Sierra, Sierra, El Capitan, Yosemite, Mavericks
• macOS Mojave 10.14 can upgrade High Sierra, Sierra, El Capitan, Yosemite, Mavericks, Mountain Lion
• macOS High Sierra 10.13 can upgrade Sierra, El Capitan, Yosemite, Mavericks, Mountain Lion

Safari downloads the following older installers as a disk image named InstallOS.dmg or InstallMacOSX.dmg. Open the disk image, then open the .pkg installer inside the disk image. It installs an app named Install [ Version Name ]. Open that app from your Applications folder to begin installing the operating system.

• macOS Sierra 10.12 can upgrade El Capitan, Yosemite, Mavericks, Mountain Lion, or Lion
• OS X El Capitan 10.11 can upgrade Yosemite, Mavericks, Mountain Lion, Lion, or Snow Leopard
• OS X Yosemite 10.10can upgrade Mavericks, Mountain Lion, Lion, or Snow Leopard

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How to Find the Build Number of Mac OS X on a Mac

Each release of MacOS or Mac OS X has a unique build number assigned to it to represent the changes found in that version of system software, often these changes are minor and incremental, but with major Mac OS X releases the build numbers can change significantly. Though average Mac users won’t need to know the build number of their system software, those running developer builds and beta releases often pay attention to these software versioning alphanumeric strings. With that in mind, we’ll show you a few ways to quickly find the build number of Mac OS X system software installed on any Mac.

Find the Mac OS Build Number from About This Mac

This is the simplest way to get a build version number of Mac OS X:

1. Go to the  Apple menu and choose “About This Mac”
2. Click on the system software version number directly under the major Mac release name (for example, under OS X Yosemite, click on the “Version 10.10.5” numbers) to reveal the build number directly next to it

Yes, you have to click on the Version number to reveal the build number.

The About This Mac panel also offers a quick look at the model year of a specific Mac, a storage overview, the amount of RAM a Mac supports, and digging deeper, even things like the model identifier number or extensively detailed hardware information.

Get the Build Number of Mac OS X from the Command Line

There are several ways to retrieve the build number of Mac OS X from the command line, perhaps the simplest is with the sw_vers command, which as it looks, stands for “software version” and reveals basic system information, displaying the product name, product version, and, what we’re looking for here, the build number version:

An example of command output may look like this:

% sw_vers
ProductName: Mac OS X
ProductVersion: 10.10.4
BuildVersion: 14E101A

We’re looking for the alphanumeric sequence alongside “BuildVersion”.

You can also use a variation of the system_profiler command to retrieve the build version of MacOS X by using grep for the proper string, similar to getting the Macs serial number in Terminal that way, in this case the proper syntax would be:

system_profiler |grep «System Version»

For example, this may look like:

$ system_profiler |grep «System Version»
System Version: OS X 10.10.4 (14E101A)

It doesn’t matter which approach you take, you’ll find that the build number will be the same on the same Mac, so just use which method is right for you, be it from the command line, which is helpful from ssh and remote management situations, or from the About This Mac window, which is the quickest for most Mac users.

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All macOS versions from 2001 to 2021

Superpowers for your Mac

macOS is the operating system designed to run on Apple laptops and desktop computers. As Apple grew and strengthened the ecosystem through the years, macOS operating system version history evolved too.

In this article, we guide you through the evolution of Apple’s operating system, from the first public release in 2001 to the latest macOS Monterey announced at WWDC 2021 on June 7.

Is there any difference between Mac OS X and macOS?

No, they are essentially the same thing — just named differently. In fact, three terms were used at different times with reference to Apple’s operating system: Mac OS X, OS X, and macOS. Mac OS X was the official naming through version 10.7, from 2001 to 2011. In the next four years, the OS X names were used. Finally, Apple shifted to “macOS” with the release of macOS High Sierra in 2016. The latter helped standardize the naming of Apple’s operating systems — macOS, iOS, tvOS, iPadOS, etc.

List of macOS versions

Brief backstory. In 1996, Apple purchased NeXT, the company Steve Jobs built after he had left Apple. The same year, Jobs returned to Apple and helped build the first Mac OS that could compete with Windows. That’s when it became obvious Apple could grow to become a big player.

The first ancestor of the macOS family was Mac OS X Public Beta released in 2000, followed by a public release of Mac OS X 10.0 in 2001. Let’s recount the stories of all Mac OS X versions, up to the current macOS.

1. Mac OS X 10.0 (Cheetah)

March 24, 2001: Aqua interface is born with Mac OS X Cheetah. It’s a big step in the evolution of graphical interfaces, with 2D and 3D graphics support, granting an all-new visual experience. Cheetah featured a water theme, which, according to Steve Jobs, “one wanted to lick when they saw it.” Beauty comes at a cost, though. Graphics improvements made Cheetah very slow, which prompted Apple to shift focus from visual experience to performance in the next release.

source: Apple Wiki | Fandom

2. Mac OS X 10.1 (Puma)

September 25, 2001: As you might have noticed, the first generation of Apple’s operating systems was named after animals. Puma arrived with a solid performance boost and a few other functional improvements such as simplified CD and DVD burning, new features in Finder, and more extensive printer support.

source: Apple Wiki | Fandom

3. Mac OS X 10.2 (Jaguar)

August 23, 2002: The third release of Mac OS X added search to Finder (can you imagine it, Finder used to exist without it!) Jaguar also brings MPEG-4 support for QuickTime, a range of privacy features, and, for the first time, Accessibility API called Universal Access. Some of the apps born with this release continue living on Mac even today (for example, Address Book, which is now called Contacts).

source: VTII Technology

4. Mac OS X 10.3 (Panther)

October 24, 2003: Meet Safari! The first official web browser made by Apple replaces Internet Explorer on Mac. In fact, Safari was available on Jaguar but it’s the first release where it becomes a default browser. Other than that, Panther adds 150+ new features, including Font Book, Xcode enhancements, and more.

source: Cult of Mac

5. Mac OS X 10.4 (Tiger)

April 29, 2005: Did you think Apple TV is pretty new? Well, guess what, it was born in 2005, with the release of Apple’s fifth operating system! Tiger was a pretty big update. It featured Spotlight search, Automator, VoiceOver, and around 200 other improvements. During this time, Apple also switched to Intel’s processors, which made Tiger the first system operating on Macs with Intel chips.

6. Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard)

October 26, 2007: Here comes Leopard, one of the most Mac-changing systems. This time, Mac’s desktop changes significantly, with Dock, a new menu bar, and Stacks. Time Machine, Spotlight enhancements, and support for 64-bit apps arrive too. In fact, Leopard featured so much new stuff that Apple even had to delay the initial release date to finish it all in time.

source: Apple Wiki | Fandom

7. Mac OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard)

August 28, 2009: Leopard’s successor, Snow Leopard, focused on expanding 64-bit architecture. Most of the native applications were rewritten in 64-bit. Back then, experts used to say that was the first step to a full transition, which, as we know today, became true. Also, the App Store was born in the Snow Leopard era.

8. Mac OS X 10.7 (Lion)

July 20, 2011: With Lion, Apple brings lots of useful enhancements from iOS to Mac OS. Launchpad, multi-touch gestures, and more. Interestingly, many people criticized Mac OS X 10.7 for the so-called “natural scrolling,” which moved the content up when you scroll down. Back then, it seemed more natural to have the content move down — as Windows did it.

9. OS X 10.8 (Mountain Lion)

July 25, 2012: Major apps like Notes, Reminders, and Messages arrive from iOS, turning Mac into a more comfortable spot for managing your daily routine. The most significant update in Mountain Lion is Notification Center, with on-screen banners communicating updates.

10. OS X 10.9 (Mavericks)

October 22, 2013: Operating system number 10 debuts a range of privacy features, majorly focused on password encryption and storage. This is when iCloud Keychain arrives. Also, OS X 10.9 features new Maps, iBooks, and Tags for the first time, as well as upgrades Notification Center by allowing users to reply directly from notifications.

source: Apple Wiki | Fandom

11. OS X 10.10 (Yosemite)

October 16, 2014: Biggest redesign in years. From small things like thin fonts and new color schemes to the big shift towards flat graphic design, which better matches the design of iOS. What’s more, Yosemite introduces Handoff and Continuity. This once again confirms Apple’s intention to craft a better cross-device experience in the future.

12. OS X 10.11 (El Capitan)

September 30, 2015: El Capitan is faster, better, stronger than the previous operating system, due to a major performance boost. For example, it allows opening apps 40% faster than old systems. Also, this is the year when Split View’s dual-pane emerges, opening up new possibilities for managing windows on Mac.

13. macOS 10.12 (Sierra)

September 20, 2016: With Sierra, Apple shifts to the “macOS” naming. Again, more iOS perks arrive, such as unlocking a Mac with Apple Watch. There’s also a new Storage Optimization feature with a detailed overview of storage and suggestions on how to free up disk space. And, hey Siri!

14. macOS 10.13 (High Sierra)

September 25, 2017: macOS High Sierra adds a new video standard called HEIC and a transition to Apple File System (APFS), which is an improved alterantive to its predecessor file system HFS+. Apart from that, there are a few enhancements in Safari, Mail, and Photo — but nothing major.

15. macOS 10.14 (Mojave)

September 24, 2018: That’s when things go dark. We mean Dark Mode! Mac users can now move through their day-and-night routine, with the colors of the screen moving with them, thanks to Dynamic Desktop feature. There are more and more apps that arrive from iOS, including Stocks, News, and Home.

16. macOS 10.15 (Catalina)

October 7, 2019: macOS Catalina marks the death of iTunes, splitting Apple’s top-destination for media content into three dedicated apps — Music, Podcasts, and Movies. Apple continues aligning iOS and macOS with Sidecar, a feature that lets your connect an iPad screen to your Mac, and the ability for developers to port iOS apps to macOS.

source: Mobile Review

17. macOS 11 (Big Sur)

November 19, 2020: There’s no macOS 10.16, because Big Sur deserves a more epic version name — 11.0. Bringing a huge design change and transition to Apple’s M1 Macs, macOS Big Sur is the one to remember. This is the first operating system that allows running iOS apps natively on Mac — the so-called Universal apps.

18. macOS 12 (Monterey)

Fall 2021: Announced on June 7, macOS Monterey brings Shortcuts — the ability to set up quick actions with different apps to automate your flow. Apart from that, there’s Universal Control, a natural transitioning across your Mac and iOS devices (for example, you can move your cursor between Mac and iPad); redesigned Safari with tab groups, and a range of cool FaceTime enhancements. More on macOS 12 Monterey here.

What’s the latest macOS?

New operating systems for Mac not only bring new features, they bring better performance, enhanced privacy, and better workflow for those working across devices. If you’re wondering whether to upgrade to the newest macOS, we’d say yes, it’s worth it.

How to check the latest macOS on your Mac

Before you upgrade, you should find out what your current macOS is. Some macOS versions can’t be “skipped.” For example, if you want to upgrade to Lion, you should first install Snow Lion. Here’s how to check your operating system version on Mac:

1. Go to Apple menu > About This Mac
2. See the name of your current macOS in the Overview section
3. To check for pending macOS updates, choose Software Update.

Tip: If you don’t want to upgrade, but you feel like “you have to” because your Mac is slowing down or acting weird, don’t rush into it. Check what’s wrong with iStat Menus app, a real-time system monitor that can identify any pitfalls in your system. Maybe some apps are putting pressure on your Mac or you’re low on storage. In this case, macOS update won’t help.

How to update to the latest version of macOS

Older Mac OS X releases or newest macOS, the process of updating operating systems follows the same logic:

1. First, you backup your data to make it available on the new macOS
2. Second, you make sure you have enough space on Mac to install new macOS
3. Third, you download and install the new update.

The first step is essential. Without securely backing up your disk, you might lose access to the images, docs, and whatever essential stuff stored on Mac. We recommend Get Backup Pro or ChronoSync Express to run a backup. The former can back up selected files and the latter does a great job backing up folders. So you don’t have to back up the whole disk, with all the clutter stored on it. Here’s how to create a backup with Get Backup Pro:

1. Click on the “+” button in Backups to create a new project
2. Choose a destination for your backup
3. Click File+ to add files for backup
4. Press Start.

1. Choose “Create a new synchronization task” on the right
2. Name the project
3. Choose folders for backup
4. Choose your backup destination
5. Hit the arrow button to start backing up.

Once you’ve secured the data, go ahead and clean your Mac with CleanMyMac X. Remove clutter, system files, unused apps and app caches, etc. This way, you’ll free up lots of storage and get your Mac ready for a new macOS installation. We recommend to start with a Smart Scan, but if you want to go for a deeper cleanup, go through dedicated modules, they all work like magic.

Nice work! Now you’re ready to install macOS 12 Monterey or any other macOS version you want to try. For detailed instructions on how to update macOS, read this article.

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