macOS

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

macOS 27 Compatibility

Which Macs can run macOS 27 Golden Gate? macOS 27 is Apple Silicon only. Intel Macs are not supported. See the full list of supported Macs, the Intel Macs that are dropped, and compatibility for MacBook Air, Pro and Neo, as well as iMac, Mac mini, Mac Pro, Mac Studio.

macOS 27 Golden Gate is the newest macOS, 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. Check the model name, chip, and year listed
  4. Compare against the compatibility list below

Can your Mac run macOS 27 Golden Gate?

macOS 27 Golden Gate runs only on Apple Silicon (M-series) 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.

macOS 27 Golden Gate runs on these Macs:

  • 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)

These four Intel Macs run macOS Tahoe 26 but cannot run macOS 27 Golden Gate:

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

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.

Every Apple Silicon Mac runs macOS 27, but the most advanced on-device Apple Intelligence and Siri AI features need an M3 or newer chip with at least 12 GB of memory. Older M1 and M2 Macs, and the MacBook Neo, run macOS 27 and get Siri AI, just not the most demanding features.

Compatibility for earlier macOS versions

macOS Tahoe 26

MacOS Tahoe 26 works on these Mac models:

  • MacBook Air: M1 (2020) and later
  • MacBook Pro: M1 (2020) and later
  • MacBook Pro (Intel): 16-inch, 2019; 13-inch, 2020 (four Thunderbolt 3 ports)
  • iMac: 2020 and later
  • Mac mini: M1 (2020) and later
  • Mac Studio: 2022 and later
  • Mac Pro: 2019 and later

Apple supports macOS Tahoe 26 on all of its Apple silicon models, but for macOS Tahoe 26 only the latest Intel-based Macs (mostly 2019 and 2020 releases) are included. Older Intel models—including iMac Pro (2017), Mac mini (2018), and all Intel-based MacBook Airs—are not compatible.

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 Sonoma 14

MacOS Sonoma 14.7.6 remains available with security updates for legacy hardware, particularly 2018-2019 MacBook Air models that macOS Sequoia no longer supports.

Complete macOS Tahoe 26 compatibility list

macOS Tahoe 26 represents a major milestone: it's the last version of macOS that will support Intel-based Macs. Apple announced this new operating system at WWDC in June 2025 and released it to the public on September 15, 2025.

Later macOS releases, starting with macOS 27, require Apple Silicon exclusively. If you have a compatible Intel Mac, this represents your final major macOS upgrade unless you plan to purchase a newer Apple Silicon model.

For unsupported Macs, you can continue using macOS Sequoia, which will receive security updates for approximately three years after its 2024 release.

Here's the complete list of Macs that can run macOS Tahoe 26:

All Apple Silicon Macs (full support)

MacBook Air

  • MacBook Air (13-inch, M1, 2020)
  • MacBook Air (13-inch, M2, 2022)
  • MacBook Air (15-inch, M2, 2023)
  • MacBook Air (13-inch, M3, 2024)
  • MacBook Air (15-inch, M3, 2024)
  • MacBook Air (13-inch, M4, 2025)
  • MacBook Air (15-inch, M4, 2025)

MacBook Pro

  • MacBook Pro (13-inch, M1, 2020)
  • MacBook Pro (14-inch, M1 Pro/Max, 2021)
  • MacBook Pro (16-inch, M1 Pro/Max, 2021)
  • MacBook Pro (13-inch, M2, 2022)
  • MacBook Pro (14-inch, M2 Pro/Max, 2023)
  • MacBook Pro (16-inch, M2 Pro/Max, 2023)
  • MacBook Pro (14-inch, M3 Pro/Max, 2023)
  • MacBook Pro (16-inch, M3 Pro/Max, 2023)
  • MacBook Pro (14-inch, M4 Pro/Max, 2024)
  • MacBook Pro (16-inch, M4 Pro/Max, 2024)

iMac

  • iMac (24-inch, M1, 2021)
  • iMac (24-inch, M3, 2023)
  • iMac (24-inch, M4, 2024)

Mac mini

  • Mac mini (M1, 2020)
  • Mac mini (M2, 2023)
  • Mac mini (M2 Pro, 2023)
  • Mac mini (M4, 2024)

Mac Studio

  • Mac Studio (M1 Max/Ultra, 2022)
  • Mac Studio (M2 Max/Ultra, 2023)
  • Mac Studio (M4 Max/Ultra, 2024)

Mac Pro

  • Mac Pro (M2 Ultra, 2023)

Limited Intel Mac support

Only four Intel-based Mac models can run macOS Tahoe 26, and these won't support Apple Intelligence features:

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

What won't work with Tahoe

Several recent Intel-based Macs that supported macOS Sequoia won't be 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)

Apple Intelligence requirements

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.

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.