So the short answer is yes if you are running it on the latest hardware from Apple. And those Macs come preinstalled with macOS Big Sur. With the latest advancements, Apple announced that iOS apps can run on the Apple Silicon Mac powered by the M1 chip. And check out our macOS Big Sur section for how-tos on using the new features and enhancements. Head over to Evan’s article for the 6 most interesting new features in macOS Big Sur. You’ll see rounded icons, more transparency in the menu bar and Dock, and top-to-bottom sidebars in Finder and other Apple apps.īut you’ll also appreciate an updated Notification Center, brand-new Control Center, and upgrades to Messages, Maps, and Safari. You’ll notice changes in the appearance when you install macOS Big Sur. Refer to the list of compatible Mac models above or go directly to the Apple Support site for an expanded list. Yes, macOS Big Sur can run on Macs with Intel processors, assuming your Mac is compatible. If you’re interested in ways to speed up your Mac, especially if you feel it lagging, check out this tried-and-true article from Anthony: Here are some things to check if your Mac is running slowly.

And it’s typical for each new version to require a bit more than its predecessor. Will macOS Big Sur slow down my computer?Īs with any macOS upgrade, you’ll need to have enough resources to run macOS Big Sur. Take a look at our full tutorial for performing a clean install of macOS Big Sur. Often times this is the way to go rather than simply “upgrading” to a new OS which can bring with it lingering issues. If you want to do a clean install of macOS Big Sur on your Mac, you’re not alone. How do you do a clean install of macOS Big Sur?

Yes, you can make an installer for macOS Big Sur and Christian walks you through exactly how in his article. Can you make a USB bootable installer for macOS Big Sur? Apple icon > About This Mac > Software UpdateĪlternatively, you can go directly to Apple’s macOS Big Sur webpage and click Update Now.Apple icon > System Preferences > Software Update.

Go to one of these spots from your menu bar. You can download and install macOS Big Sur on your Mac like any other macOS update. If you own a Mac computer, macOS Big Sur is available as a free upgrade. If upgrading from an earlier release, macOS Big Sur requires up to 44.5GB of available storage. If upgrading from macOS Sierra or later, macOS Big Sur requires 35.5GB of available storage to upgrade. How much storage space do you need to run macOS Big Sur?Īpple supplies this information if you’re concerned you may not have enough storage space to upgrade: If you’d like more on compatibility, including other requirements, take a look at Christian’s helpful article on whether or not your Mac can handle macOS Big Sur 10.16. 11) Should you upgrade to macOS Big Sur? Which Mac models are compatible with macOS Big Sur?įor a summary of Mac models compatible with macOS Big Sur, here’s the short list.

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