MacOS Monterey: How to tell if your computer is compatible with Apple’s new OS


    Apple's M1-powered 13-inch MacBook Air

    Apple’s 2020 13-inch MacBook Air will work with MacOS Monterey.


    Stephen Shankland/CNET

    Apple’s newest Mac operating system, MacOS Monterey (also known as MacOS 12) is available to download as a public beta (here’s how to download the MacOS Monterey public beta). First unveiled at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference in early June, MacOS Monterey includes new features like Universal Control, AirPlay and a bunch of the same updates coming to iOS 15, like spatial audio in FaceTime. And we should learn the official release date at Apple’s Monday event.

    If you’re looking to download and install the MacOS Monterey public beta, or the final version once it’s released in the fall, you’ll need to have a compatible device. And while the Windows 11 rollout has been full of confusion over which devices will be able to run the OS, Apple’s compatibility list is far more straightforward. 

    Read more: The three best things in the MacOS Monterey beta so far

    Every Mac compatible with MacOS Monterey

    Here are all the models of Macs that can run MacOS Monterey, according to Apple: 

    • MacBook, early 2016 and later
    • MacBook Air, early 2015 and later
    • MacBook Pro, early 2015 and later
    • Mac Pro, late 2013 and later
    • Mac Mini, late 2014 and later
    • iMac, late 2015 and later
    • iMac Pro, 2017 and later

    As our sister site ZDNet notes, that means that the following Macs will not be able to update to anything beyond MacOS Big Sur: 

    • iMac, mid and late 2014 and early 2015 
    • MacBook Air, mid 2013 and early 2014
    • MacBook Pro, late 2013 and mid 2014
    • MacBook, early 2015

    For more, check out what we know so far about MacOS Monterey and its features and our guide to if you should buy a new Mac now, or should you wait? You can also take a look at the best new features for WatchOS 8 and see if your iPhone is compatible with iOS 15.


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