Here is an official list of all Apple Mac computers that will be compatible with the newly announced macOS 14 Sonoma beta update.
Wondering whether or not your iMac, MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, or Mac Pro will work with macOS 14 Sonoma Beta? Here's the official compatibility list
A new version of macOS was just announced at WWDC23. Apart from the exciting new features, many of you are more excited about the name instead - Sonoma. That's absolutely normal, and we get the hype, too.
Interestingly, the update is available to download right now as well, in typical Apple fashion. If you're a developer, just download the software update utility from the developer portal, and you'll be enjoying the new beta on your Mac in under an hour. However, before you do that, it's super duper important to know which model of the Mac is compatible with the new macOS Sonoma update, and more importantly, is your Mac compatible?
According to Apple's very own website, which highlights the features of macOS Sonoma, these are the Macs that are compatible with the latest desktop operating system:
- iMac 2019 and later
- Mac Pro 2019 and later
- iMac Pro 2017
- Mac Studio 2022 and later
- MacBook Air 2018 and later
- Mac mini 2018 and later
- MacBook Pro 2018 and later
Compared to macOS Ventura, Apple axed a lot of Macs this year once again:
- iMac 2017 and later
- Mac Pro 2019 and later
- iMac Pro 2017
- Mac mini 2018 and later
- MacBook Air 2018 and later
- MacBook 2017 and later
- MacBook Pro 2017 and later
If you want to experience the best of macOS Sonoma beta, then it is highly recommended that you install it on a computer with Apple Silicon inside it. Of course, the best-ever experience can be had on something like the 16.2-inch MacBook Pro or the Mac Studio. These are extremely powerful computers from Apple and ones that know how to crunch numbers and software without skipping a beat.
If you have no idea which Mac you have, then don't worry. The process of finding exactly which model you have involves a few clicks only, and it goes something like this:
- Click on the Apple logo in the menu bar at the top.
- Now click on About this Mac.
- Right at the top, you'll see the Mac model and the year right underneath. Just tally it with the compatible devices list from Apple, and you'll know whether or not you'll be able to install the beta or not.
At the time of writing, we can only install the beta version of macOS Sonoma on our compatible devices. The full and final version of the software will be available sometime later this year. When the update does arrive, usually a patched version of macOS arrives alongside it - unofficial, of course - that adds support for older Apple computers that are not in the compatibility list.
If you do have a Mac lying around that is not supported by macOS Sonoma, before you panic buy a new one, wait for the patched, unofficial version to arrive. Usually, it works just fine and is deemed fit for day-to-day use. You can boost the performance of the update by installing the patched version on an SSD.
About the author: Uzair has been writing about tech for a little under 10 years. Started off in the Symbian days, migrated to Android, eventually settling on iOS and Mac to make a living. Loves photography, drones, talking about the latest tech, and firmly believes that iPad is the future of computing. Served as Editor-in-Chief with Redmond Pie for five years, author at The Readers Eye and many other freelance gigs. Wccftech is now his current home.
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