Wondering what the name of the latest macOS version is? Curious about the versions of Mac Bone X that came before? Here we'll fill you in on the names of the unlike versions of the Mac operating system in order: from the newest macOS to the starting time version of Mac OS X and the codenames that Apple tree used for them. We'll also bear witness you how yous can check which version of macOS you are running and detect out what the latest version of macOS is.

If you are wondering what the latest version of macOS is it's Monterey! Likewise known as macOS 12. Monterey arrived on Mon 25 October 2021. For more data read: Everything you demand to know about macOS Monterey.

And if yous are looking for help installing Monterey read: How to update macOS: Update to Monterey and Fixes for Macs that won't update macOS.

Mac Bone 10 first launched more than 20 years ago on 24 March 2001. There's been a lot of change over those ii decades: good and bad. From the bug with the first edition (it was slow and didn't run important apps like Microsoft Give-and-take) Mac Os X has evolved through various iterations and various designs to what nosotros know today. We've seen tight integration with iOS devices, the incorporation of the cloud, and the inflow of excellent and helpful features including integrated Time Machine back ups, Quick Look - which lets you lot see a preview of a certificate without opening the awarding, and innovations like Betrayal and Spaces and Desktop Stacks to aid you lot work efficiently.

In this article we will run though the long history of Mac Bone Ten, or macOS as it is now known.

For an overview of the features of the various versions of the Mac operating system, showing how it has developed over time, take a look at our video above. If you want to know the names Apple assigned to Mac OS X over the years, and the codenames that were used internally, read on.

List of macOS version names

Here'south an overview of every version of macOS and Mac Os Ten Apple has released. Yous'll find a complete list of OS X version lawmaking names, forth with internal code names (if available):

OS X 10 beta: Kodiak - 13 September 2000

OS X 10.0: Cheetah - 24 March 2001

OS X ten.1: Puma - 25 September 2001

OS X x.two: Jaguar - 24 August 2002

OS Ten 10.3 Panther (Pinot) - 24 October 2003

Bone X ten.4 Tiger (Merlot) - 29 Apr 2005

[OS X 10.4.4 Tiger (Chardonnay)]

Bone X 10.v Leopard (Chablis) - 26 October 2007

OS X 10.vi Snow Leopard - 28 August 2009

Os Ten x.7 King of beasts (Barolo) - twenty July 2011

Bone X ten.viii Mountain Lion (Zinfandel) - 25 July 2012

OS X ten.9 Mavericks (Cabernet) - 22 Oct 2013

OS X x.10: Yosemite (Syrah) - 16 October 2014

Bone X 10.eleven: El Capitan (Gala) - 30 September 2015

macOS 10.12: Sierra (Fuji) - 20 September 2016

macOS 10.13: High Sierra (Lobo) - 25 September 2017

macOS 10.fourteen: Mojave (Liberty) - 24 September 2018

macOS 10.15: Catalina (Jazz) - 7 October 2019

macOS 11: Large Sur - 12 November 2020

macOS 12: Monterey - 25 October 2021

We have a total list of which Macs run which versions of Mac Os Ten and macOS here.

Mac Os Ten & macOS names

Equally you can run into from the list in a higher place, with the exception of the first Bone Ten beta, all versions of the Mac operating system from 2001 to 2012 were all named after large cats, from Chetah to Panther to Mount Lion.

Only while the public-facing builds were named after big cats, internally, they were named after wines (aside from OS X 10.6 and macOS x.13, both of which had no codename).

Even after Apple switched public-facing code-names to places in California back in 2013, it carried on naming them subsequently wines internally until 2014. In 2015, Apple decided to change the theme of internal code-names from wines to types of apple. Original.

In 2016, Apple tree took the plunge to unify the branding of its operating systems by rebranding Mac Os X to macOS, which sits nicely alongside iOS, tvOS and watchOS, and paved the mode for macOS 11, the successor to Mac Os X, which arrived xx years after the showtime beta of Mac OS X.

What'southward the latest macOS?

Wondering what the latest version of macOS is? From 25 Oct 2021 information technology is macOS Monterey, also known as macOS 12. If information technology is uniform with your Mac you can download Monterey via System Preferences > Software Update. Read: How to update to macOS Monterey. Nosotros too address lots of the problems people typically take when updating their Mac in macOS Monterey won't install: Fixes.

Whichever version of macOS you are running y'all should always keep it up-to-date with Apple tree'due south latest updates and security fixes. Apple tree releases various updates to the Bone throughout the year, so you can await updates from time to time. Once Monterey is out we'll maintain a latest version of Monterey article.

The version of macOS before Monterey was Large Sur: you lot might be interested to read Monterey vs Large Sur for a comparing of features. We have a defended article with details of new features and security fixes in the latest version of Large Sur. You lot can download Big Sur here.

The version of macOS earlier Big Sur was Catalina, in that case we have a comparison of Big Sur and Catalina. For the latest security update information read well-nigh the latest version of Catalina here. You can Download Catalina hither. Apple keeps the past three versions of macOS upwards to date with security fixes, so, until the new version of macOS launches, Catalina will be included in these necessary updates.

Prior to the release of Catalina we had macOS 10.14 Mojave. Version 10.xiv.six arrived on 26 September 2019. Download Mojave here. Find out virtually the latest version of macOS Mojave hither.

macOS Mojave

Before Mojave was macOS High Sierra. High Sierra is bachelor here.

If you want an fifty-fifty older version of macOS take a wait at our article nearly getting old versions of macOS and Mac OS X.

How to tell which macOS you are running

Y'all can tell which version of macOS y'all are running past clicking on the Apple logo in the tiptop left and choosing About This Mac.

Which version of macOS am I running

How to install the latest version of macOS

If y'all want to update your Mac to a newer version of macOS the method will be adamant by the version of macOS you are running.

Very quondam versions of Mac OS Ten came on a deejay and any security updates came via Software Update. Since the inflow of the Mac App Store in 2011 (every bit an update to Snow Leopard) versions of Mac Bone X and macOS have been available to download via the Mac App Store.

Nonetheless, that changed slightly with Mojave, which arrived in 2018. Now operating system updates come up in via a new Software Updates pane in System Preferences. You can still find the software in the Mac App Store, but you should just run into information technology in System Preferences > Software Update.

You can go to System Preferences from the Apple tree carte du jour: Click on the Apple logo in the top left and choose System Preferences. You may be taken straight to the Software Update pane, if non click on the Software Update cog icon. Your Mac will search for an update and if at that place is one you tin can choose Update Now.

Some Macs will be set to update macOS automatically. If you want your Mac to update automatically follow these steps:

In Big Sur, Mojave or Catalina:

  1. Open up System Preferences.
  2. Click on Software Update.
  3. Check the box beside Download new updates when available.
  4. At present select the box Install macOS updates.

In High Sierra or earlier:

  1. Open System Preferences.
  2. Click on App Store.
  3. Check the box beside Automatically check for updates - information technology should have a tick in information technology as should the four options below that…
  4. At present deselect the box beside Download newly available updates in the background.

Read all nearly how to update your Mac here.