Apple revealed a number of new features coming to its devices before the end of the year during its WWDC conference in June. For Mac, the new features come in the form of macOS 14 Sonoma and while there aren’t as many new features for Mac as there are for iPhone with iOS 17 and Apple Watch with watchOS 10, there are still plenty that make updating to the new software worth it. The question is though, will your Mac be compatible with the new software? The public beta of macOS Sonoma is available now so if you do have a Mac that will run macOS Sonoma, it will also be able to run the final version of the software when it arrives. If you aren’t sure if your Mac is compatible with macOS 14 Sonoma, we’re here to help.
Which Mac models support macOS 14 Sonoma?
Apple is pretty good at supporting older devices for software updates, though there does come a point where the hardware running some older devices just won’t cut it anymore and you’d get a bad user experience so support gets dropped instead. A couple of Mac models that supported macOS 13 Ventura have therefore lost support for macOS 14 Sonoma due to a lack of processing power, but there are still plenty of models that will run the new software.
The following Mac models are all compatible with macOS Sonoma:
- iMac: 2019 and later
- iMac Pro: 2017 and later
- Mac Pro: 2019 and later
- Mac Studio: 2022 and later
- MacBook Air: 2018 and later
- MacBook Pro: 2018 and later
- Mac mini: 2018 and later
Will you get all the macOS 14 Sonoma features?
Well, this is the other catch. While your Mac model might support macOS Sonoma, it might be that you don’t get every single new feature offered by the software. There are some great features coming, like the ability to add widgets to your desktop, something called Presenter Overlay in video conferencing that lets you stay part of the conversation when you share your screen, a game mode and changes to Messages, among plenty more.
Presenter Overlay for example, is only available on Mac models running Apple Silicon though, while reacting with your hands to produce a 3D augmented reality effect on a FaceTime call, also needs a Mac with a built-in camera and running Apple Silicon. Game Mode on macOS Sonoma needs Apple Silicon too, and there are other features that are restricted to certain Mac models as well, so while you should get the majority of features, there might be a few you miss out on depending on what model you have.
How to find what Mac model you have
Unlike iPhone and Apple Watch, Apple doesn’t name its Mac models in number order. It typically distinguishes between models using the processor and year of release, which can make things a little confusing. If you are wondering what Mac you have, you wouldn’t be alone. To find out what Mac model you have, follow these steps:
- Tap on the Apple icon in the top left of your Mac screen
- Tap on About this Mac
- A card will appear that will let you know what Mac model you have with the chip and year
Apple Silicon models are distinguished by an “M” before them. For example, “M1” or “M2”. If you want the model and serial number of your Mac model, you can get a little more information by holding down the Option key after you press the Apple logo in the top left corner, and then tapping on System Information and making sure Hardware is selected in the sidebar. From here, you’ll find the Model Number, which you can cross reference with Apple’s various support pages to identify your Mac model.
When is macOS 14 Sonoma available?
Apple hasn’t announced an exact release date for macOS 14 Sonoma as yet, though it has said “this autumn”. While we expect iOS 17 and watchOS 10 to be available shortly after the iPhone 15 event, expected to be on 12 or 13 September, it’s possible macOS Sonoma won’t appear until later. Previous macOS software builds were released in October, following the announcements of new Mac models, so it’s likely we still have a couple of months to wait. For now, if you want to try all the new macOS Sonoma features, then you can download and install the public beta to try them out.