macOS

Written & tested for accuracy by a developer (not AI)

macOS 27 Compatibility

Supported devices for macOS 27. Which Macs can run macOS 27 Golden Gate? A full list of supported Macs, the Intel Macs that are dropped for macOS 27, and compatibility for older Macs including MacBook Air, Pro and Neo, as well as iMac, Mac mini, Mac Pro, Mac Studio.

macOS 27 Golden Gate is the latest macOS version, released September 14, 2026, and it runs only on Apple Silicon Macs. It is the first version to drop every Intel Mac. Check below whether your Mac can run macOS 27. Compatibility lists for macOS Tahoe 26 and earlier versions are also here.

Here's how to upgrade macOS after you've checked compatibility:

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Check macOS compatibility

Check Mac compatibility before downloading any upgrades. Your Mac determines which macOS versions you can download and run.

Use the graphical interface by clicking the Apple menu > About This Mac > More Info

  1. Click the Apple menu in the top-left corner
  2. Choose "About This Mac"
  3. See the model name, year, and chip
  4. Compare with the compatibility lists below

Supported devices for macOS 27

macOS 27 Golden Gate runs only on Apple Silicon Macs. It is the first macOS version to drop every Intel Mac, so if your Mac has an Intel processor, macOS 27 is not for you. For a full look at the release, see macOS 27 Golden Gate.

Here are the supported devices for macOS 27 Golden Gate:

  • MacBook Neo (2026)
  • MacBook Air with Apple Silicon (2020 and later)
  • MacBook Pro with Apple Silicon (2020 and later)
  • iMac with Apple Silicon (2021 and later)
  • Mac mini with Apple Silicon (2020 and later)
  • Mac Studio (2022 and later)
  • Mac Pro with Apple Silicon (2023 and later)

New Mac mini and Mac Studio models, shipping September 22, 2026, come with macOS 27 installed.

Every Apple Silicon Mac runs macOS 27 and gets Apple Intelligence and Siri AI, including older M1 and M2 Macs and the MacBook Neo. Two features, expressive Siri voices and improved dictation, need an M3 or newer chip with at least 12 GB of memory.

Recently unsupported devices for macOS 27

These four Intel Macs run macOS Tahoe 26 but were dropped for macOS 27 Golden Gate:

  • MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2019)
  • MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2020, four Thunderbolt 3 ports)
  • Mac Pro (2019)
  • iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, 2020)

Only four Intel-based Mac models can run macOS Tahoe 26. If you have one of these Intel Macs, stay on macOS Tahoe 26, your final macOS version. Apple is expected to provide security updates into 2028. If you plan to sell or give away an Intel Mac, see How to Factory Reset a Mac.

Apple Intelligence features require Apple Silicon (M1 or newer) processors. The four supported Intel Macs can run macOS Tahoe but won't have access to AI-powered features like Live Translation, enhanced Siri, or Writing Tools.

In detail, with the processor architecture:

  • MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2019) - 9th generation Intel processors
  • MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2020, Four Thunderbolt 3 ports) - 10th generation Intel processors
  • Mac Pro (2019) - Cascade Lake Xeon-W processors
  • iMac (27-inch, 2020) - 10th generation Intel processors

Unsupported devices for macOS Tahoe 26

Several Intel-based Macs that supported macOS Sequoia are not compatible with Tahoe:

Excluded MacBook Models

  • MacBook Air (2018, 2019, 2020 Intel models)
  • MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2018, 2019)
  • MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2018, 2019)
  • MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2020, Two Thunderbolt 3 ports)

Excluded Desktop Models

  • iMac (21.5-inch, all models)
  • iMac (27-inch, 2017, 2019)
  • iMac Pro (2017)
  • Mac mini (2018)
  • Mac Pro (2013)

Compatibility for earlier macOS versions

macOS 16-25 don't exist

Apple skipped releases 16-25 to align numbers with years.

macOS Sequoia 15

macOS Sequoia 15 works on these Mac models:

  • iMac (2019 and later)
  • iMac Pro (2017)
  • Mac Studio (2022 and later)
  • Mac mini (2018 and later)
  • Mac Pro (2019 and later)
  • MacBook Air (2020 and later)
  • MacBook Pro (2018 and later)

macOS Sequoia 15.8, released September 14, 2026, begins the final year of security updates for Sequoia.

macOS Sonoma 14

macOS Sonoma 14 no longer receives security updates. Its last update was Sonoma 14.8.9, in August 2026. Sonoma is the final version for 2018 and 2019 MacBook Air models, which macOS Sequoia does not support.

What's next

My mac.install.guide is a trusted source of installation guides for professional developers. Take a look at the Mac Install Guide home page for tips and trends and see what to install next.