Find out which macOS your Mac is using
Use About This Mac to see the version of Mac operating system installed on your Mac, and find out whether it’s the latest version.
Is your Mac up to date with the latest version of the Mac operating system (macOS or OS X)? Is it using the version required by some other product that you want to use with your Mac? Which versions are earlier (older) or later (newer, more recent)? To find out, learn which version is installed now.
If your macOS isn’t up to date, you may be able to update to a later version.
Which macOS version is installed?
From the Apple menu in the corner of your screen, choose About This Mac. You should see the macOS name, such as macOS Mojave, followed by its version number. If you need to know the build number as well, click the version number to see it.
This example shows macOS Catalina version 10.15 build 19A583.
Which macOS version is the latest?
These are all Mac operating systems, starting with the most recent. When a major new macOS is released, it gets a new name, such as macOS Catalina. As updates that change the macOS version number become available, this article is updated to show the latest version of that macOS.
If your Mac is using an earlier version of any Mac operating system, you should install the latest Apple software updates, which can include important security updates and updates for the apps that are installed by macOS, such as Safari, Books, Messages, Mail, Music, Calendar, and Photos.
How to Check What Mac OS Version is Running on a Mac
Have you ever needed to know which version of Mac OS was on a computer? For some users the answer may be never, but others may need to know exactly what version of Mac OS system software is running on a particular Mac. Typically the need to know which MacOS version is on a Mac is necessary for learning about compatibility with software or a specific feature, but it can also be helpful to know what version of Mac OS is installed for troubleshooting purposes and other reasons too. While many Mac users will immediately know what release and version of system software is running on their computer, others users may not know this information.
This tutorial will show you how to easily find out what version of Mac OS system software is running on a Mac, including what the major release name is as well as the specific version of MacOS system software.
How to See What Version of Mac OS is Running and Installed on a Mac
- From anywhere on the Mac, look in the upper left corner for the Apple menu and click that
From the Apple menu choose “About This Mac”
The Mac system overview panel will appear on screen, showing what Mac OS release and version is installed on the computer
In the this screenshot example, the “About This Mac” screen on that particular Mac is running “macOS Mojave” as the major release, and the specific version of MacOS Mojave that is running is 10.14.2.
In the screenshot below, “About This Mac” shows the Mac running “OS X El Capitan” as the major release, and the specific system software version is 10.11.6.
• Bonus tip: You can also get the Mac OS build number from the same screen. Simply click on the version number at the About This Mac screen, a hexadecimal code next to the version will appear showing that specific software release build number. The build number can be helpful for more advanced users to know, but is generally not necessary information for average Mac users.
• Bonus tip 2: The About This Mac screen also easily allows you to find when a Mac model was made and built.
• Bonus tip 3: You can also find the Mac serial number from the About This Mac screen.
• Bonus tip 4: If you’re inclined to use the Terminal, you can also get Mac OS system information and version from the command line if needed.
• Bonus tip 5: The solution here will show you how to get the current Mac OS version, but if you have an installer file somewhere you might be wondering which version is contained within that system installer. You can find out what Mac OS system software version is contained within a MacOS Installer application by following these steps.
Why does the version of MacOS software matter?
Some users may be wondering why the MacOS software version even matters, and why would they care to know it in the first place. But knowing the system software version can be helpful for many reasons, including for:
- Feature existence or compatibility
- App compatibility
- Accessory support or compatibility
- Troubleshooting procedures
- Installing, reinstalling, and updating Mac OS
- If you’re using a Combo Update to update Mac OS system software
Major new releases of Mac OS are available from the Mac App Store, whereas software updates to an existing release can be found from the Software Update control panel, or the Updates tab of the Mac App Store.
Mac OS X Version History & Release Names
For those interested in some history, you might like to know that Mac OS has been labeled with various naming conventions, with each major Mac OS release having a distinct name as well. For the initial nine releases, Mac OS versions were labeled after wild cats, while the releases after that are named after locations and places in the state of California.
The current and historical Mac OS names and versions are as follows:
- Mac OS X 10.0 Cheetah
- Mac OS X 10.1 Puma
- Mac OS X 10.2 Jaguar
- Mac OS X 10.3 Panther
- Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger
- Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard
- Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard
- OS X 10.7 Lion
- OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion
- OS X 10.9 Mavericks
- OS X 10.10 Yosemite
- OS X 10.11 El Capitan
- MacOS 10.12 Sierra
- MacOS 10.13 High Sierra
- MacOS 10.14 Mojave
Prior to the modern “Mac OS X” naming convention, Mac system software was labeled as ‘Mac OS’ and also as ‘System’, but those earlier versions had completely different underlying architecture. Modern Mac OS versions are built atop a BSD unix core, whereas the much older releases from the pre-OSX era were not.
For what it’s worth, accessing the “About This Mac” screen from the Apple menu goes way back to old school Mac OS releases as well, so if you dig up an Apple Macintosh SE/30 from an attic you can find the system software version on those old Macs the same way too.
Obviously this applies to the Mac, but if you have an iPhone or iPad you can check what iOS version is running on iOS devices through Settings.
How to check which version of macOS your Mac computer is running in 3 simple steps
- To check which macOS version you’re running, you can simply go into your «About This Mac» menu. From there, you can also find many other pieces of information about your computer.
- Checking which OS your Mac is running on can let you know if it’s up-to-date, or if you need to update it.
- You can update your macOS version from the About This Mac menu as well. Updating when you can ensures that your computer receives all the latest features, and works as efficiently as possible.
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Trying to keep track of all the various operating systems Apple has released since 1984, the year its first MacintoshOS was released, can be a harrowing process.
In the early years, each subsequent system was named with a series of straightforward numbers: there was System 1, System 2, System 2.1, and so on. You knew which operating system was newer because it would have a larger number.
But then, in the early 2000s, the company started naming their operating systems after large cats, like «Snow Leopard» and «Mountain Lion,» and numbers, giving you names like Mac OS X 10.7 Lion.
Later, they switched to naming OS systems after places in California. As of this writing, the most current macOS version is «macOS Mojave.»
Unless you’re a programmer or tech journalist, you don’t need to know the name of every Mac operating system ever: you just need to know what the latest is, how to check which macOS version you currently have, and how to update it if you need to.
Check out the products mentioned in this article:
MacBook Pro (From $1,299 at Best Buy)
How to check which macOS version your Mac computer is running
To check your Mac’s OS version:
1. Click on the Apple logo in the top-left corner of the screen.
2. In the dropdown menu that appears, click on «About This Mac.»
3. A new window will appear. It should open to the Overview tab by default, but if it doesn’t, click «Overview» at the top of the window.
On this page, you’ll be able to see what macOS version your computer is running, right down to the build number (something like 10.14.6).
Underneath the OS name, you’ll find a collection of basic information about your computer, including its serial number, graphics card, and model name. If you click «System Report…» at the bottom of the window, you’ll be able to explore even more information about your device.
How to check for macOS updates
If you think your macOS version might be outdated, try to update it.
1. Again, open the «About This Mac» screen from the Apple logo in the top-left corner. And again, go to the «Overview» page.
2. At the bottom of the window, next to the System Report option, click on «Software Update…»
3. Your Mac will connect to the internet to check if there’s a more current version of macOS for you to install. If there is, it’ll prompt you to restart your computer to install the update. If you have the most current version, it’ll let you know that, and you can close both windows without worry.
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