This article is about macOS version 10.0 and later. For Mac OS 9 and earlier, seeClassic Mac OS. For the family of Mac operating systems, seeMac operating systems. For the Ugandan school nicknamed "Macos", seeMakerere College School.
A prominent part of macOS's originalbrand identity was the use ofRoman numeral X, pronounced "ten", as well ascode naming each release after species ofbig cats, and later, places withinCalifornia.[12] Apple shortened the name to "OS X" in 2011 and then changed it to "macOS" in 2016 to align with the branding of Apple's other operating systems.[13] After 16 distinctversions of macOS 10,macOS Big Sur was presented as version 11 in 2020, and every subsequent version has also incremented the major version number, similarly to classic Mac OS and iOS, but is still named after places within California.
Throughout the 1990s, Apple had tried to create a "next-generation" OS to succeed itsclassic Mac OS through theTaligent,Copland andGershwin projects, but all were eventually abandoned.[16] This led Apple to acquireNeXT in 1997, allowing NeXTSTEP, later calledOPENSTEP, to serve as the basis for Apple's next generation operating system.[17]This purchase also led to Steve Jobs returning to Apple as an interim, and then the permanent CEO, shepherding the transformation of the programmer-friendly OPENSTEP into a system that would be adopted by Apple's primary market of home users and creative professionals. The project was first codenamed "Rhapsody" before officially being named Mac OS X.[18][19]
Mac OS X
The letter "X" in Mac OS X's name refers to the number 10, aRoman numeral, and Apple has stated that it should be pronounced "ten" in this context. However, it is also commonly pronounced like the letter "X".[20][21] TheiPhone X,iPhone XR andiPhone XS all later followed this convention.
Previous Macintosh operating systems (versions of theclassic Mac OS) were named usingArabic numerals, as withMac OS 8 andMac OS 9.[22][20] UntilmacOS 11 Big Sur, all versions of the operating system were given version numbers of the form 10.x, with this going from 10.0 up until 10.15; starting withmacOS 11 Big Sur, Apple switched to numbering major releases with numbers that increase by 1 with every major release.
The first version of Mac OS X,Mac OS X Server 1.0, was a transitional product, featuring an interface resembling theclassic Mac OS, though it was not compatible with software designed for the older system. Consumer releases of Mac OS X included morebackward compatibility. Mac OS applications could be rewritten to run natively via theCarbon API; many could also be run directly through theClassic Environment with a reduction in performance.
The consumer version of Mac OS X was launched in 2001 withMac OS X 10.0. Reviews were variable, with extensive praise for its sophisticated, glossyAqua interface, but criticizing it for sluggish performance.[23] With Apple's popularity at a low, the maker ofFrameMaker,Adobe Inc., declined to develop new versions of it for Mac OS X.[24]Ars Technica columnist John Siracusa, who reviewed every major OS X release up to 10.10, described the early releases in retrospect as "dog-slow, feature poor" and Aqua as "unbearably slow and a huge resource hog".[23][25][26]
Apple rapidly developed several new releases of Mac OS X.[27] Siracusa's review of version 10.3,Panther, noted "It's strange to have gone from years of uncertainty andvaporware to a steady annual supply of major new operating system releases."[28] Version 10.4,Tiger, reportedly shocked executives atMicrosoft by offering a number of features, such as fast file searching and improved graphics processing, that Microsoft had spentseveral years struggling to add toWindows Vista with acceptable performance.[29]
As the operating system evolved, it moved away from theclassic Mac OS, with applications being added and removed.[30] Considering music to be a key market, Apple developed theiPod music player and music software for the Mac, includingiTunes andGarageBand.[31] Targeting the consumer and media markets, Apple emphasized its new "digital lifestyle" applications such as theiLife suite, integrated home entertainment through theFront Row media center and theSafari web browser. With the increasing popularity of the internet, Apple offered additional online services, including the .Mac,MobileMe and most recentlyiCloud products. It later began selling third-party applications through theMac App Store.
Newer versions of Mac OS X also included modifications to the general interface, moving away from the striped gloss and transparency of the initial versions. Some applications began to use abrushed metal appearance, or non-pinstriped title bar appearance in version 10.4.[32] In Leopard, Apple announced a unification of the interface, with a standardized gray-gradient window style.[33][34]
A key development for the system was the announcement and release of theiPhone from 2007 onwards. While Apple's previousiPod media players used aminimal operating system, the iPhone used an operating system based on Mac OS X, which would later be called "iPhone OS" and theniOS. The simultaneous release of two operating systems based on the same frameworks placed tension on Apple, which cited the iPhone as forcing it to delayMac OS X 10.5 Leopard.[36] However, after Apple opened the iPhone to third-party developers its commercial success drew attention to Mac OS X, with many iPhone software developers showing interest in Mac development.[37]
In 2007,Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard was the sole release withuniversal binary components, allowing installation on both Intel Macs and selectPowerPC Macs.[38] It is also the final release with PowerPC Mac support.Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard was the first version of Mac OS X to be built exclusively for Intel Macs, and the final release with 32-bit Intel Mac support.[39] The name was intended to signal its status as an iteration of Leopard, focusing on technical and performance improvements rather than user-facing features; indeed it was explicitly branded to developers as being a 'no new features' release.[40] Since its release, several OS X or macOS releases (namelyOS X Mountain Lion,OS X El Capitan,macOS High Sierra, andmacOS Monterey) follow this pattern, with a name derived from its predecessor, similar to the 'tick–tock model' used by Intel.
In two succeeding versions,Lion andMountain Lion, Apple moved some applications to a highlyskeuomorphic style of design inspired by contemporary versions of iOS while simplifying some elements by making controls such as scroll bars fade out when not in use.[25] This direction was, like brushed metal interfaces, unpopular with some users, although it continued a trend of greater animation and variety in the interface previously seen in design aspects such as theTime Machinebackup utility, which presented past file versions against a swirling nebula, and the glossy translucentdock ofLeopard andSnow Leopard.[41] In addition, withMac OS X 10.7 Lion, Apple ceased to release separateserver versions of Mac OS X, selling server tools as a separate downloadable application through the Mac App Store. A review described the trend in the server products as becoming "cheaper and simpler... shifting its focus from large businesses to small ones."[42]
OS X
OS X logo used until 2013
In 2012, with the release ofOS X 10.8 Mountain Lion, the name of the system was officially shortened from Mac OS X to OS X, after theprevious version shortened the system name in a similar fashion a year prior. That year, Apple removed the head of OS X development,Scott Forstall, and design was changed towards a more minimal direction.[43] Apple's new user interface design, using deep color saturation, text-only buttons and a minimal, 'flat' interface, was debuted withiOS 7 in 2013. With OS X engineers reportedly working on iOS 7, the version released in 2013,OS X 10.9 Mavericks, was something of a transitional release, with some of the skeuomorphic design removed, while most of the general interface of Mavericks remained unchanged.[44] The next version,OS X 10.10 Yosemite, adopted a design similar toiOS 7 but with greater complexity suitable for an interface controlled with a mouse.[45]
From 2012 onwards, the system has shifted to an annual release schedule similar to that ofiOS and Mac OS X releases prior to10.4 Tiger[citation needed]. It also steadily cut the cost of updates from Snow Leopard onwards, before removing upgrade fees altogether inOS X Mavericks.[46] Some journalists and third-party software developers have suggested that this decision, while allowing more rapid feature release, meant less opportunity to focus on stability, with no version of OS X recommendable for users requiring stability and performance above new features.[47] Apple's 2015 update,OS X 10.11 El Capitan, was announced to focus specifically on stability and performance improvements.[48]
macOS
Current logo
In 2016, with the release ofmacOS 10.12 Sierra, the name was changed from OS X to macOS with the purpose of aligning it with the branding of Apple's other primary operating systems:iOS,watchOS, andtvOS.[49][50] macOS Sierra addedSiri,iCloud Drive, picture-in-picture support, a Night Shift mode that switches the display to warmer colors at night, and two Continuity features: Universal Clipboard, which syncs a user's clipboard across their Apple devices, and Auto Unlock, which can unlock a user's Mac with their Apple Watch. macOS Sierra also adds support for theApple File System (APFS), Apple's successor to the datedHFS+ file system.[51][52][53]macOS 10.13 High Sierra, released in 2017, included performance improvements,Metal 2 andHEVC support, and made APFS the default file system forSSD boot drives.[54]
In 2020, Apple announcedmacOS 11 Big Sur at that year's WWDC. This was the first increment in the primary version number of macOS since the release ofMac OS X Public Beta in 2000; updates to macOS 11 were given 11.x numbers, matching the version numbering scheme used by Apple's other operating systems. Big Sur brought major changes to the user interface and was the first version to run onApple Silicon, based on theARM architecture.[57] The numbering system started with Big Sur continued in 2021 withmacOS 12 Monterey, 2022 withmacOS 13 Ventura, 2023 withmacOS 14 Sonoma, and 2024 withmacOS 15 Sequoia.
2.↑ Tiger did not support 64-bit GUI applications, only 64-bit CLI applications.[79][80]
3.12 32-bit (but not 64-bit) PowerPC applications were supported on Intel processors withRosetta.
4.↑ 64-bit Intel applications are supported onApple silicon Macs withRosetta 2. However, Intel-based Macs are unable to run ARM-based applications, such asiOS andiPadOS apps.
At macOS's core is aPOSIX-compliant operating system built on top of theXNUkernel,[81] (which incorporated large parts ofFreeBSDkernel[14]) andFreeBSD userland[14] for the standard Unix facilities available from thecommand line interface. Apple has released this family of software as afree andopen source operating system namedDarwin. On top of Darwin, Apple layered a number of components, including theAqua interface and theFinder, to complete theGUI-based operating system which is macOS.[82]
With its original introduction as Mac OS X, the system brought a number of new capabilities to provide a more stable and reliable platform than its predecessor, theclassic Mac OS. For example,pre-emptive multitasking andmemory protection improved the system's ability to run multiple applications simultaneously without them interrupting or corrupting each other. Many aspects of macOS's architecture are derived fromOPENSTEP, which was designed to be portable, to ease the transition from one platform to another. For example,NeXTSTEP was ported from the original68k-based NeXT workstations tox86 and other architectures before NeXT was purchased by Apple,[83] and OPENSTEP was later ported to thePowerPC architecture as part of theRhapsody project.
Prior to macOS High Sierra, and on drives other thansolid state drives (SSDs), the defaultfile system isHFS+, which it inherited from the classic Mac OS. Operating system designerLinus Torvalds had criticized HFS+, saying it is "probably the worst file system ever", whose design is "actively corrupting user data". He criticized thecase insensitivity of file names, a design made worse when Apple extended the file system to supportUnicode.[84][85]
TheDarwin subsystem in macOS manages the file system, which includes the Unixpermissions layer. In 2003 and 2005, twoMacworld editors expressed criticism of the permission scheme; Ted Landau called misconfigured permissions "the most common frustration" in macOS, while Rob Griffiths suggested that some users may even have toreset permissions every day, a process which can take up to 15 minutes.[86] More recently, another Macworld editor, Dan Frakes, called the procedure of repairing permissions vastly overused.[87] He argues that macOS typically handles permissions properly without user interference, and resetting permissions should only be tried when problems emerge.[88]
The architecture of macOS incorporates a layered design:[89]the layered frameworks aid rapid development of applications by providing existing code for common tasks.[90] Apple provides its ownsoftware development tools, most prominently anintegrated development environment calledXcode. Xcode provides interfaces tocompilers that support severalprogramming languages includingC,C++,Objective-C, andSwift. For theMac transition to Intel processors, it was modified so that developers could build their applications as auniversal binary, which provides compatibility with both the Intel-based and PowerPC-based Macintosh lines.[91] First and third-party applications can be controlled programmatically using theAppleScript framework,[92] retained from theclassic Mac OS,[93] or using the newerAutomator application that offers pre-written tasks that do not require programming knowledge.[94]
Apple offered two mainAPIs to develop software natively for macOS:Cocoa andCarbon. Cocoa was a descendant of APIs inherited fromOPENSTEP with no ancestry from theclassic Mac OS, while Carbon was an adaptation of classic Mac OS APIs, allowing Mac software to be minimally rewritten to run natively on Mac OS X.[19]
The Cocoa API was created as the result of a 1993 collaboration betweenNeXT Computer andSun Microsystems. This heritage is highly visible for Cocoa developers, since the "NS" prefix is ubiquitous in the framework, standing variously forNeXTSTEP orNeXT/Sun. The official OPENSTEP API, published in September 1994, was the first to split the API between Foundation and ApplicationKit and the first to use the "NS" prefix.[83] Traditionally, Cocoa programs have been mostly written inObjective-C, with Java as an alternative. However, on July 11, 2005, Apple announced that "features added to Cocoa in Mac OS X versions later than 10.4 will not be added to the Cocoa-Java programming interface."[95] macOS also used to support theJava Platform as a "preferred software package"—in practice this means that applications written in Java fit as neatly into the operating system as possible while still beingcross-platform compatible, and that graphical user interfaces written inSwing look almost exactly like native Cocoa interfaces. Since 2014, Apple has promoted its new programming languageSwift as the preferred language for software development on Apple platforms.
Apple's original plan with macOS was to require all developers to rewrite their software into the Cocoa APIs. This caused much outcry among existing Mac developers, who threatened to abandon the platform rather than invest in a costly rewrite, and the idea was shelved.[19][96] To permit a smooth transition from Mac OS 9 to Mac OS X, theCarbonApplication Programming Interface (API) was created.[19] Applications written with Carbon were initially able to run natively on both classic Mac OS and Mac OS X, although this ability was later dropped as Mac OS X developed. Carbon was not included in the first product sold as Mac OS X: the little-used original release ofMac OS X Server 1.0, which also did not include the Aqua interface.[97] Apple limited further development of Carbon from the release of Leopard onwards and announced that Carbon applications would not run at 64-bit.[96][19] A number of macOS applications continued to use Carbon for some time afterwards, especially ones with heritage dating back to the classic Mac OS and for which updates would be difficult, uneconomic or not necessary. This includedMicrosoft Office up toOffice 2016, and Photoshop up to CS5.[98][96] Early versions of macOS could also run some classic Mac OS applications through theClassic Environment with performance limitations; this feature was removed from 10.5 onwards and all Macs using Intel processors.
Because macOS isPOSIX compliant, many software packages written for the otherUnix-like systems includingLinux can be recompiled to run on it, including many scientific and technical programs.[99] Third-party projects such asHomebrew,Fink,MacPorts andpkgsrc provide pre-compiled or pre-formatted packages. Apple and others have provided versions of theX Window System graphical interface which can allow these applications to run with an approximation of the macOS look-and-feel.[100][101][102] The current Apple-endorsed method is the open-sourceXQuartz project; earlier versions could use theX11 application provided by Apple, or before that theXDarwin project.[103]
Applications can be distributed to Macs and installed by the user from any source and by any method such as downloading (with or withoutcode signing, available via an Apple developer account) or through theMac App Store, a marketplace of software maintained by Apple through a process requiring the company's approval. Apps installed through the Mac App Store run within asandbox, restricting their ability to exchange information with other applications or modify the core operating system and its features. This has been cited as an advantage, by allowing users to install apps with confidence that they should not be able to damage their system, but also as a disadvantage due to blocking the Mac App Store's use for professional applications that require elevated privileges.[104][105] Applications without any code signature cannot be run by default except from a computer's administrator account.[106][107]
In 2018, Apple introduced an application layer, codenamed Marzipan, toport iOS apps to macOS.[108][109] macOS Mojave included ports of four first-party iOS apps includingHome andNews, and it was announced that the API would be available for third-party developers to use from 2019.[110][111][112] WithmacOS Catalina in 2019, the application layer was made available to third-party developers asMac Catalyst.[113]
Hardware compatibility
List of macOS versions, the supported systems on which they run, and their RAM requirements
Tools such asXPostFacto and patches applied to the installation media have been developed by third parties to enable installation of newer versions of macOS on systems not officially supported by Apple. This includes a number of pre-G3 Power Macintosh systems that can be made to run up to and including Mac OS X 10.2 Jaguar, all G3-based Macs which can run up to and including Tiger, and sub-867 MHz G4 Macs can run Leopard by removing the restriction from the installation DVD or entering a command in the Mac'sOpen Firmware interface to tell the Leopard Installer that it has a clock rate of 867 MHz or greater. Except for features requiring specific hardware such as graphics acceleration or DVD writing, the operating system offers the same functionality on all supported hardware.
As most Mac hardware components, or components similar to those, since the Intel transition are available for purchase,[118] some technology-capable groups have developed software to install macOS on non-Apple computers. These are referred to asHackintoshes, aportmanteau of the words "hack" and "Macintosh". This violates Apple'sEULA (and is therefore unsupported by Apple technical support, warranties etc.), but communities that cater to personal users, who do not install for resale and profit, have generally been ignored by Apple.[119][120][121] These self-made computers allow more flexibility and customization of hardware, but at a cost of leaving the user more responsible for their own machine, such as on matter of data integrity or security.[122]Psystar, a business that attempted to profit from selling macOS on non-Apple certified hardware, was sued by Apple in 2008.[123]
Steve Jobs talks about the transition to Intel processors.
In April 2002, eWeek announced a rumor that Apple had a version of Mac OS X code-namedMarklar, which ran onIntel x86 processors. The idea behind Marklar was to keep Mac OS X running on an alternative platform should Apple become dissatisfied with the progress of thePowerPC platform.[124] These rumors subsided until late in May 2005, when various media outlets, such asThe Wall Street Journal[125] andCNET,[126] announced that Apple would unveil Marklar in the coming months.[127][128][129]
On June 6, 2005, Steve Jobs announced in his keynote address at WWDC that Apple would be making the transition from PowerPC toIntel processors over the following two years, and that Mac OS X would support both platforms during the transition. Jobs also confirmed rumors that Apple had versions of Mac OS X running on Intel processors for most of its developmental life. Intel-based Macs would run a new recompiled version of OS X along withRosetta, abinary translation layer which enables software compiled for PowerPC Mac OS X to run on Intel Mac OS X machines.[130] The system was included with Mac OS X versions up to version 10.6.8.[131] Apple dropped support for Classic mode on the new Intel Macs. Third party emulation software such asMini vMac,Basilisk II andSheepShaver provided support for some early versions of Mac OS. A new version of Xcode and the underlying command-line compilers supported buildinguniversal binaries that would run on either architecture.[132]
PowerPC-only software is supported with Apple's officialbinary translation software,Rosetta, though applications eventually had to be rewritten to run properly on the newer versions released for Intel processors. Apple initially encouraged developers to produce universal binaries with support for both PowerPC and Intel.[133] PowerPC binaries suffer a performance penalty when run on Intel Macs through Rosetta. Moreover, some PowerPC software, such as kernel extensions and System Preferences plugins, are not supported on Intel Macs at all. Plugins for Safari need to be compiled for the same platform as Safari, so when Safari is running on Intel, it requires plug-ins that have been compiled as Intel-only or universal binaries, so PowerPC-only plug-ins will not work.[134] While Intel Macs can run PowerPC, Intel, and universal binaries, PowerPC Macs support only universal and PowerPC builds.
Support for the PowerPC platform was dropped following the transition. In 2009, Apple announced at WWDC that Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard would drop support for PowerPC processors and be Intel-only.[135] Rosetta continued to be offered as an optional download or installation choice in Snow Leopard before it was discontinued with Mac OS X 10.7 Lion.[136] In addition, new versions of Mac OS X first- and third-party software increasingly required Intel processors, including new versions of iLife, iWork, Aperture and Logic Pro.
Rumors of Apple shifting Macs from Intel to in-house ARM processors used by iOS devices began circulating as early as 2011,[137] and ebbed and flowed throughout the 2010s.[138] Rumors intensified in 2020, when numerous reports announced that the company would announce its shift to its custom processors at WWDC.[139]
Apple officially announced its shift toprocessors designed in-house on June 22, 2020, at WWDC 2020, with the transition planned to last for approximately two years.[140] The first release of macOS to support ARM wasmacOS Big Sur. Big Sur and later versions supportUniversal 2 binaries, which are applications consisting of both Intel (x86-64) and Apple silicon (AArch64) binaries; when launched, only the appropriate binary is run. Additionally, Intel binaries can be run on Apple silicon-based Macs using theRosetta 2binary translation software. The transition was completed atWWDC 2023 with the announce of the Apple siliconMac Pro, ending the transition in 3 years, slightly behind schedule.
The change in processor architecture allows Macs with ARM processors to be able to run iOS and iPadOS apps natively.[141]
One of the major differences between theclassic Mac OS and the current macOS was the addition ofAqua, a graphical user interface with water-like elements, in the first major release of Mac OS X. Every window element, text, graphic, orwidget is drawn on-screen usingspatial anti-aliasing technology.[142]ColorSync, a technology introduced many years before, was improved and built into the core drawing engine, to provide color matching forprinting andmultimedia professionals.[143] Also,drop shadows were added around windows and isolated text elements to provide a sense of depth. New interface elements were integrated, including sheets (dialog boxes attached to specific windows) and drawers, which would slide out and provide options.
The use of soft edges, translucent colors, and pinstripes, similar to the hardware design of the firstiMacs, brought more texture and color to the user interface when compared to whatMac OS 9 andMac OS X Server 1.0's "Platinum" appearance had offered. According to Siracusa, the introduction of Aqua and its departure from the then conventional look "hit like a ton of bricks."[144]Bruce Tognazzini (who founded the original Apple Human Interface Group) said that the Aqua interface inMac OS X 10.0 represented a step backwards in usability compared with the original Mac OS interface.[145][146]Third-party developers started producingskins for customizable applications and other operating systems which mimicked the Aqua appearance. To some extent, Apple has used the successful transition to this new design as leverage, at various times threateninglegal action against people who make or distribute software with an interface the company says is derived from itscopyrighted design.[147]
Apple has continued to change aspects of the macOS appearance and design, particularly with tweaks to the appearance of windows and the menu bar. Since 2012, Apple has sold almost all of its Mac models with high-resolutionRetina displays, and macOS and itsAPIs have extensive support for resolution-independent development on supporting high-resolution displays. Reviewers have described Apple's support for the technology as superior to that on Windows.[148][149][150]
Thehuman interface guidelines published by Apple for macOS are followed by many applications, giving them consistent user interface and keyboard shortcuts.[151] In addition, new services for applications are included, which include spelling and grammar checkers, special characters palette, color picker, font chooser and dictionary; these global features are present in every Cocoa application, adding consistency. The graphics systemOpenGL composites windows onto the screen to allow hardware-accelerated drawing. This technology, introduced in version 10.2, is calledQuartz Extreme, a component ofQuartz. Quartz's internal imaging model correlates well with thePortable Document Format (PDF) imaging model, making it easy to output PDF to multiple devices.[143] As a side result, PDF viewing and creating PDF documents from any application are built-in features.[152] Reflecting its popularity with design users, macOS also has system support for a variety of professional video and image formats and includes an extensive pre-installed font library, featuring many prominent brand-name designs.[153]
TheFinder is a file browser allowing quick access to all areas of the computer, which has been modified throughout subsequent releases of macOS.[154][155]Quick Look has been part of the Finder sinceversion 10.5. It allows for dynamic previews of files, including videos and multi-page documents without opening any other applications.Spotlight, a file searching technology which has been integrated into the Finder sinceversion 10.4, allows rapid real-time searches of data files; mail messages; photos; and other information based on item properties (metadata) or content.[156][157] macOS makes use of aDock, which holds file and folder shortcuts as well as minimized windows.
Apple added Exposé inversion 10.3 (calledMission Control sinceversion 10.7), a feature which includes three functions to help accessibility between windows and desktop. Its functions are to instantly reveal all open windows as thumbnails for easy navigation to different tasks, display all open windows as thumbnails from the current application, and hide all windows to access the desktop.[158]FileVault is optional encryption of the user's files with the 128-bitAdvanced Encryption Standard (AES-128).[159]
Features introduced inversion 10.4 includeAutomator, an application designed to create an automatic workflow for different tasks;[160]Dashboard, a full-screen group of small applications calleddesktop widgets that can be called up and dismissed in one keystroke;[161] andFront Row, a media viewer interface accessed by theApple Remote.[162] Sync Services allows applications to access a centralized extensible database for various elements of user data, including calendar and contact items. The operating system then managed conflicting edits and data consistency.[163]
All system icons are scalable up to 512×512 pixels as ofversion 10.5 to accommodate various places where they appear in larger size, including for example theCover Flow view, athree-dimensional graphical user interface included withiTunes, the Finder, and other Apple products for visually skimming through files and digital media libraries via cover artwork. That version also introducedSpaces, avirtual desktop implementation which enables the user to have more than one desktop and display them in an Exposé-like interface;[164] an automatic backup technology calledTime Machine, which allows users to view and restore previous versions of files and application data;[165] and Screen Sharing was built in for the first time.[166]
In more recent releases, Apple has developed support foremoji characters by including the proprietaryApple Color Emoji font.[167][168] Apple has also connected macOS with social networks such asTwitter andFacebook through the addition of share buttons for content such as pictures and text.[169] Apple has brought several applications and features that originally debuted iniOS, its mobile operating system, to macOS in recent releases, notably theintelligent personal assistantSiri, which was introduced inversion 10.12 of macOS.[170][171]
Multilingual support
There are 47 system languages available in macOS for the user at the moment of installation; the system language is used throughout the entire operating system environment.[172] Input methods for typing in dozens of scripts can be chosen independently of the system language.[173] Recent updates have added increased support forChinese characters and interconnections with popular social networks inChina.[174][175][176][177]
Updating methods
macOS can be updated using the Software Update settings pane inSystem Settings or thesoftwareupdatecommand line utility. UntilOS X 10.8 Mountain Lion, a separateSoftware Update application performed this functionality. In Mountain Lion and later, this was merged into theMac App Store application, although the underlying update mechanism remains unchanged and is fundamentally different from the download mechanism used when purchasing an App Store application. InmacOS 10.14 Mojave, the updating function was moved again to the Software Update settings pane.
Most Macs receive six or seven years of macOS updates. After a new major release of macOS, the previous two releases still receive occasional updates, but many security vulnerabilities are only patched in the latest macOS release.[178]
"Panther", "Tiger" and "Leopard" are registered as trademarks of Apple,[179][180][181] but "Cheetah", "Puma" and "Jaguar" have never been registered. Apple has also registered "Lynx" and "Cougar" as trademarks, though these were allowed to lapse.[182][183] Computer retailerTiger Direct sued Apple for its use of the name "Tiger". On May 16, 2005, a US federal court in the Southern District of Florida ruled that Apple's use did not infringe on Tiger Direct's trademark.[184]
On September 13, 2000, Apple released a US$29.95[185] "preview" version of Mac OS X, internally codenamed Kodiak, to gain feedback from users.
The "PB", as it was known, marked the first public availability of the Aqua interface and Apple made many changes to the UI based on customer feedback. Mac OS X Public Beta expired and ceased to function in Spring 2001.[186]
On March 24, 2001, Apple released Mac OS X 10.0 (internally codenamed Cheetah).[187]The initial version was slow,[188] incomplete,[189] and had very few applications available at launch, mostly from independent developers.[190] While many critics suggested that the operating system was not ready for mainstream adoption, they recognized the importance of its initial launch as a base on which to improve.[189] Simply releasing Mac OS X was received by the Macintosh community as a great accomplishment,[189] for attempts to overhaul the Mac OS had been underway since 1996, and delayed by countless setbacks.
Later that year, on September 25, 2001, Mac OS X 10.1 (internally codenamed Puma) was released. It featured increased performance and provided missing features, such as DVD playback. Apple released 10.1 as a free upgrade CD for 10.0 users, in addition to the $129 boxed version for people runningMac OS 9. It was discovered that the upgrade CDs were full install CDs that could be used with Mac OS 9 systems by removing a specific file; Apple later re-released the CDs in an actual stripped-down format that did not facilitate installation on such systems.[191] On January 7, 2002, Apple announced that Mac OS X was to be the default operating system for all Macintosh products by the end of that month.[192]
On August 23, 2002,[193] Apple followed up with Mac OS X 10.2 Jaguar, the first release to use its code name as part of the branding.[194]It brought significant performance improvements, and an updated version of Aqua's visual design. Jaguar also included over 150[195] new user-facing features, includingQuartz Extreme for compositing graphics directly on anATIRadeon orNvidiaGeForce2 MX AGP-based video card with at least 16 MB of VRAM, a system-wide repository for contact information in the newAddress Book, and theiChat instant messaging client.[196] TheHappy Mac icon — which had appeared during the Mac OS startup sequence since theoriginal Macintosh — was replaced with a grey Apple logo.[197]
Mac OS X v10.3 Panther was released on October 24, 2003. It significantly improved performance and incorporated the most extensive update yet to the user interface. Panther included as many or more new features as Jaguar had the year before, including an updated Finder, incorporating a brushed-metal interface,Fast user switching,Exposé (Window manager),FileVault,Safari, iChat AV (which addedvideo conferencing features to iChat), improvedPortable Document Format (PDF) rendering and much greaterMicrosoft Windows interoperability.[198] Support for some early G3 computers such as "beige" Power Macs and "WallStreet" PowerBooks was discontinued.[199]
Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger was released on April 29, 2005. Apple stated that Tiger contained more than 200 new features.[200] As with Panther, certain older machines were no longer supported; Tiger requires a Mac with 256 MB and a built-inFireWire port.[115] Among the new features, Tiger introducedSpotlight,Dashboard,Smart Folders, updated Mail program with Smart Mailboxes,QuickTime 7,Safari 2,Automator,VoiceOver,Core Image andCore Video. The initial release of theApple TV used a modified version of Tiger with a different graphical interface and fewer applications and services.[201] On January 10, 2006, Apple released the first Intel-based Macs along with the 10.4.4 update to Tiger. This operating system functioned identically on the PowerPC-based Macs and the new Intel-based machines, with the exception of the Intel release lacking support for the Classic environment.[202]
Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard was released on October 26, 2007. It was called by Apple "the largest update of Mac OS X". It brought more than 300 new features.[203] Leopard supports bothPowerPC- andIntel x86-based Macintosh computers; support for the G3 processor was dropped and the G4 processor required a minimum clock rate of 867 MHz, and at least 512 MB ofRAM to be installed. The single DVD works for all supported Macs (including 64-bit machines). New features include a new look, an updated Finder,Time Machine,Spaces,Boot Camp pre-installed,[204] full support for64-bit applications (including graphical applications), new features inMail andiChat, and a number of new security features. Leopard is anOpen Brand UNIX 03 registered product on the Intel platform. It was also the firstBSD-based OS to receive UNIX 03 certification.[205][206] Leopard dropped support for theClassic Environment and all Classic applications.[207] It was the final version of Mac OS X to support the PowerPC architecture.[208]
Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard was released on August 28, 2009. Rather than delivering big changes to the appearance and end user functionality like the previous releases ofMac OS X, Snow Leopard focused on "under the hood" changes, increasing the performance, efficiency, and stability of the operating system. For most users, the most noticeable changes were: the disk space that the operating system frees up after a clean install compared to Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard, a more responsiveFinder rewritten inCocoa, fasterTime Machine backups, more reliable and user-friendly disk ejects, a more powerful version of the Preview application, as well as a fasterSafari web browser. Snow Leopard only supported machines with Intel CPUs, required at least 1 GB ofRAM, and dropped default support for applications built for thePowerPC architecture (Rosetta could be installed as an additional component to retain support for PowerPC-only applications).[209]
Snow Leopard also featured new64-bit technology capable of supporting greater amounts ofRAM, improved support for multi-core processors throughGrand Central Dispatch, and advanced GPU performance withOpenCL.[210]
The 10.6.6 update introduced support for theMac App Store, Apple's digital distribution platform for macOS applications.[211]
OS X 10.7 Lion was released on July 20, 2011. It brought developments made in Apple's iOS, such as an easily navigable display of installed applications calledLaunchpad and a greater use ofmulti-touch gestures, to the Mac. This release removedRosetta, making it incompatible with PowerPC applications.[136]
Changes made to the GUI include auto-hiding scrollbars that only appear when they are used, andMission Control which unifies Exposé, Spaces, Dashboard, and full-screen applications within a single interface.[212] Apple also made changes to applications: they resume in the same state as they were before they were closed, similar to iOS. Documents auto-save by default.[213]
OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion was released on July 25, 2012.[74] Following the release of Lion the previous year, it was the first of the annual rather than two-yearly updates to OS X (and later macOS), which also closely aligned with the annual iOS operating system updates. It incorporates some features seen in iOS 5, which includeGame Center, support foriMessage in the newMessages messaging application, andReminders as a to-do list app separate fromiCal (which is renamed as Calendar, like the iOS app). It also includes support for storingiWork documents iniCloud.[214]Notification Center, which makes its debut in Mountain Lion, is a desktop version similar to the one in iOS 5.0 and higher. Application pop-ups are now concentrated on the corner of the screen, and the Center itself is pulled from the right side of the screen. Mountain Lion also includes more Chinese features including support forBaidu as an option forSafari search engine,QQ,163.com and 126.com services forMail,Contacts andCalendar,Youku,Tudou andSina Weibo are integrated into share sheets.[177]
Starting with Mountain Lion, Apple software updates (including the OS) are distributed via theApp Store.[215] This updating mechanism replaced the Apple Software Update utility.[216]
OS X 10.9 Mavericks was released on October 22, 2013. It was a free upgrade to all users running Snow Leopard or later with a 64-bit Intel processor.[217] Its changes include the addition of the previously iOS-onlyMaps andiBooks applications, improvements to the Notification Center, enhancements to several applications, and many under-the-hood improvements.[218]
OS X 10.10 Yosemite was released on October 16, 2014. It features a redesigned user interface similar to that ofiOS 7, intended to feature a more minimal, text-based 'flat' design, with use of translucency effects and intenselysaturated colors.[219] Apple's showcase new feature in Yosemite is Handoff, which enables users with iPhones running iOS 8.1 or later to answer phone calls, receive and send SMS messages, and complete unfinished iPhone emails on their Mac. As of OS X 10.10.3,Photos replacediPhoto andAperture.[220]
OS X 10.11 El Capitan was released on September 30, 2015. Similar to Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard, Apple described this release as emphasizing "refinements to the Mac experience" and "improvements to system performance".[221] Refinements include public transport built into theMaps application, GUI improvements to theNotes application, adoptingSan Francisco as the system font for clearer legibility, and the introduction ofSystem Integrity Protection.
TheMetal API, first introduced iniOS 8, was also included in this operating system for "all Macs since 2012".[222] According to Apple, Metal accelerates system-level rendering by up to 50 percent, resulting in faster graphics performance for everyday apps. Metal also delivers up to 10 times faster draw call performance for more fluid experience in games and pro apps.[223]
macOS 10.12 Sierra was released to the public on September 20, 2016. New features include the addition ofSiri, Optimized Storage, and updates to Photos, Messages, and iTunes.[224][225]
macOS 10.13 High Sierra was released to the public on September 25, 2017.[226] LikeOS X El Capitan andOS X Mountain Lion, High Sierra is a refinement-based update having very few new features visible to the user, including updates to Safari, Photos, and Mail, among other changes.[227]
The major change under the hood is the switch to theApple File System, optimized for the solid-state storage used in most new Mac computers.[228]
macOS 10.14 Mojave was released on September 24, 2018.[55] The update introduced a system-widedark mode and several new apps lifted from iOS, such asApple News. It was the first version to require a GPU that supports Metal. Mojave also changed the system software update mechanism from the App Store (where it had been sinceOS X Mountain Lion) to a new panel in System Preferences. App updates remain in the App Store.
macOS 10.15 Catalina was released on October 7, 2019.[229] Updates included enhanced voice control, and bundled apps for music, video, and podcasts that together replace the functions of iTunes, and the ability to use an iPad as an external monitor. Catalina officially dropped support for 32-bit applications.[230]
macOS Big Sur was announced during the WWDC keynote speech on June 22, 2020,[231] and it was made available to the general public on November 12, 2020. This is the first time the major version number of the operating system has been incremented since theMac OS X Public Beta in 2000. It bringsArm support,[232] new icons, and aestheticuser interface changes to the system.[233]
macOS Monterey was announced during the WWDC keynote speech on June 7, 2021, and released on October 25, 2021, introducing Universal Control (which allows input devices to be used with multiple devices simultaneously), Focus modes (which allows selectively limiting notifications and alerts depending on user-defined user/work modes), Shortcuts (a task automation framework previously only available oniOS andiPadOS expected to replaceAutomator), a redesignedSafari Web browser, and updates and improvements toFaceTime.[234]
macOS Ventura was announced during the WWDC keynote speech on June 6, 2022[235] and released on October 24, 2022.[236] It came with the redesigned System Preferences (named System Settings) to a moreiOS-like design, and the newFreeform,Weather andClock apps that run natively on Mac. Users can use an iPhone as a webcam for video conferencing with Continuity Camera. Siri's appearance was changed to look more like the versions oniOS 14 andiPadOS 14.Mail introduced schedule send and undo send for emails, andMessage also got the ability to undo send and edit messages. Stage Manager was introduced as a new way to organize all open windows in a desktop.Maps gained the feature for multiple-stop routes,Metal 3 was added with support for spatial and temporal image upscaling, Lockdown mode was added to reduce the risk of a cyberattack, and the ability to play ambient background sounds was added as an accessibility feature in System Settings.
macOS Sonoma was announced during the WWDC keynote speech on June 5, 2023, and released on September 26, 2023.[237] macOS Sonoma revamped widgets—they can now be placed anywhere on the desktop. Game mode optimizes game performance by prioritizing gaming tasks and allocating more GPU and CPU capacity to the game, and by doing so is able to provide smoother frame rates for gameplay. TheSpotlight Search bar and all app icons were made even more rounded, smoother animations were implemented for notifications and the lock screen, and new slow-motion screensavers of different locations worldwide were added. When logged in, they gradually slow down and become the desktop wallpaper.
macOS Sequoia was announced during the WWDC keynote speech on June 10, 2024. It adds support forApple Intelligence features (for example a redesignedSiri, writing tools, Image Playground, Genmoji, and system-wide integration withGPT-4o), as well as adding iPhone Mirroring, a new dedicated Passwords app for faster autofilling and more organised passwords, and window tiling - a similar feature toMicrosoft Windows'Aero Snap window snapping feature.[238]
Security
Apple publishes Apple Platform Security documents to lay out the security protections built into macOS and Mac hardware.[239]
macOS supports additional hardware-based security features on Apple silicon Macs:[240]
PCIe orThunderbolt devices are prevented byIOMMUs from reading system memory that is not explicitly mapped to them, unlike Intel-based Macs.[240][241]
macOS's optional Lockdown Mode enables additional protections, such as disablingjust-in-time compilation for Safari'sJavaScript engine, blocks FaceTime calls unless you have previously called that person or contact, location information is excluded when photos are being shared, Game Center is disabled, and accessories have to be approved and your Mac has to be unlocked. These prevent some vulnerabilities within macOS.[242]
Only the latest major release of macOS (currentlymacOS Sequoia) receives patches for all known security vulnerabilities. The previous two releases receive some security updates, but not for all vulnerabilities known to Apple. In 2021, Apple fixed a criticalprivilege escalation vulnerability in macOS Big Sur, but a fix remained unavailable for the previous release, macOS Catalina, for 234 days, until Apple was informed that the vulnerability was being used to infect the computers ofHong Kong citizens and other people who visitedHong Kongpro-democracy websites that may have beenblocked in Hong Kong.[243][244]
macOS Ventura added support for Rapid Security Response (RSR) updates and Lockdown Mode. Rapid Security Response updates may require a reboot, but take less than a minute to install.[245][246] In an analysis,Hackintosh developer Mykola Grymalyuk noted that RSR updates can only fix userland vulunerability, and cannot patch the macOS kernel.[247] Lockdown Mode is an optional security feature designed to provide extreme protection for users who may be at risk of targeted cyberattacks, such as journalists, activists, and public figures. This mode significantly alters the functionality of the device to enhance security against sophisticated threats, particularly from spyware and state-sponsored attacks. Apple says most people are never impacted by these attacks.[248]
In its earlier years, Mac OS X enjoyed a near-absence of the types ofmalware andspyware that have affectedMicrosoft Windows users.[249][250][251] macOS has a smaller usage share compared to Windows.[252]Worms, as well as potential vulnerabilities, were noted in 2006, which led some industry analysts and anti-virus companies to issue warnings that Apple's Mac OS X is not immune to malware.[253] Increasing market share coincided with additional reports of a variety of attacks.[254] In early 2011, Mac OS X experienced a large increase in malware attacks,[255] and malware such asMac Defender, MacProtector, and MacGuard was seen as an increasing problem for Mac users. At first, the malware installer required the user to enter the administrative password, but later versions installed without user input.[256] Initially, Apple support staff were instructed not to assist in the removal of the malware or admit the existence of the malware issue, but as the malware spread, a support document was issued. Apple announced an OS X update to fix the problem. An estimated 100,000 users were affected.[257][258] Apple releases security updates for macOS regularly,[259] as well as signature files containingmalware signatures forXprotect, an anti-malware feature part ofFile Quarantine present since Mac OS X Snow Leopard.[260]
As of January 2023[update], macOS is the second-most widely used general-purpose desktop operating system used on theWorld Wide Web followingMicrosoft Windows, with a 15.33% usage share, according to statistics compiled byStatCounter.[261]
Promotion
As a device company, Apple has mostly promoted macOS to sell Macs, with promotion of macOS updates focused on existing users, promotion atApple Store and other retail partners, or through events for developers. In larger scale advertising campaigns, Apple specifically promoted macOS as better for handling media and other home-user applications, andcomparing Mac OS X (especially versions Tiger and Leopard) with the heavy criticismMicrosoft received for the long-awaitedWindows Vista operating system.[262][263]
^"What Is the I/O Kit?".IOKit Fundamentals.Archived from the original on January 22, 2021. RetrievedSeptember 4, 2018.Apple considered several programming languages for the I/O Kit and chose a restricted subset of C++.
^Mastroianni, Brian (June 13, 2016)."Apple unveils iOS 10, macOS, and more at WWDC 2016".CBS News.Archived from the original on September 25, 2023. RetrievedSeptember 25, 2023.Perhaps one of the announcements that stood out the most was a slight name change. The desktop operating system Mac OS X will now be called macOS to better match with the way the company's other operating systems are named.
^"Apple Facts". The Apple Museum.Archived from the original on December 21, 2008. RetrievedDecember 15, 2008.a joint venture with IBM, called Taligent, but was discontinued soon thereafter
^Kelly, Spencer (February 26, 2011).Click – BBC TV programme.BBC.Archived from the original on March 18, 2011. RetrievedMarch 20, 2011.Of course X ("ex") does mean 10, but anyone who used to poke around on Unix systems will know that in those days anything Unix had an X ("ex") in it, and OS Ten is written OS X ("ex") in honour of the fact that it is based on UNIX, unlike its predecessors. So, hey, you can say it any way you want; me, I'm showing my age and sticking with X (ex).
^"What is an operating system (OS)?".Apple. July 15, 2004.Archived from the original on February 26, 2009. RetrievedDecember 20, 2006.The current version of Mac OS is Mac OS X (pronounced "Mac O-S ten").
^Spolsky, Joel (June 13, 2004)."How Microsoft Lost the API War".Archived from the original on April 26, 2009. RetrievedApril 15, 2009.The developers of the Macintosh OS at Apple have always been in this camp [i.e. not trying to be backwards compatible no matter what]. It's why so few applications from the early days of the Macintosh still work...
^Orlowski, Andrew."The Jagwyre Review".The Register.Archived from the original on September 20, 2017. RetrievedSeptember 19, 2017.Using Mac OS X is like touring a land of fabulous ancient treasures – with a tourist authority that's still busy renovating them, and that hasn't quite completed the infrastructure. The sights can be breathtaking, but the roads are potholed and incomplete, and sometimes you have to get out and push. There are a few magnificent modern additions – Rendezvous, AppleScript Studio, for example – but in places the modern Apple archaeologists seem to have forgotten their ancestors techniques, and have resorted to inferior contemporary methods such as the Windows bodge of using three letter extensions for identifying the file type.
^Thompson, Ben (August 2, 2017)."Apple and the Oak Tree".Stratechery.Archived from the original on September 20, 2017. RetrievedSeptember 19, 2017.
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^Steele, Billy (May 24, 2013)."NASA WISE Deputy Project Scientist Amy Mainzer".Engadget.Archived from the original on June 25, 2017.As an astrophysicist, having the Unix core underlying the OS is key, since virtually all of our software is Unix-based in some sense
^Demerjian, Charlie (May 5, 2011)."Apple dumps Intel from laptop lines".SemiAccurate. Stone Arch Networking Services, Inc.Archived from the original on May 17, 2022. RetrievedJune 25, 2020.
^Holwerda, Thom (December 6, 2007)."Review: Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard". OS News.Archived from the original on May 15, 2009. RetrievedApril 15, 2009.The next area where Apple claims to have made major improvements is the Finder.
^Siracusa, John (January 26, 2006)."Finding Leopard".Ars Technica.Condé Nast Digital.Archived from the original on February 4, 2009. RetrievedApril 15, 2009.Unsurprisingly, each new Mac OS X release has been the vehicle for a parade of Finder fantasies.
^Although the version is now called Cheetah by users, rare evidences can be found to prove that it was called so internally. For instance, a Q&A was created in 2005 which mentions it."Technical Q&A".Apple. October 4, 2005.Archived from the original on May 18, 2008. RetrievedDecember 20, 2006.
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^"Mac OS X Leopard – Technology – UNIX".Leopard Technology Overview.Apple.Archived from the original on June 9, 2011. RetrievedOctober 26, 2007.Leopard is now an Open Brand UNIX 03 Registered Product, conforming to the SUSv3 and POSIX 1003.1 specifications for the C API, Shell Utilities, and Threads.
^Granneman, Scott (October 6, 2003)."Linux vs. Windows Viruses".The Register.Archived from the original on September 7, 2015. RetrievedFebruary 5, 2007.
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