- When was Big Sur released?
The first version of Big Sur was release on the 12th of November
• Total design refresh
• App enhancements to Safari, Messages, Maps
• Compatible with new M1 apple silicon
Apple says the new MacOS Big Sur update is its biggest design change in almost 20 years. The refreshed operating system for Mac computers includes a big update to the web browser, more privacy. To see which version of macOS you have on your Mac, follow the steps: Click the Apple menu icon at the top left corner of your screen. Choose About this Mac. Check the version in the Overview tab. The macOS High Sierra 10.13.5 update improves the stability, performance, and security of your Mac and is recommended for all users. This update adds support for Messages in iCloud, which lets you. Basically, Messages for Mac will also bring many of the features that its iOS 14 and iPad OS 14 versions will have. It'll also feature a more powerful search, a redesigned photo picker and new.
Latest Version of Mac OS – Big Sur
Big sur brings BIG changes to the MacOS, from a new OS interface to new architecture compatible with the all new M1 chip. It offers the ability for apple to use there new silicon processors based on arm64 architecture, this brings massive improvements in speed and power efficiency.
Big Sur offers a ton of new security updates which we won't get into details right now. Having said this some of Apples top apps are getting a refresh as well.
Big Sur Safari Updates
- Privacy Updates
- Password monitoring
- Speed optimization
- New design elements
- Customizable start Page
Big Sur Control Center Updates
- Puts favorite menus and Mac controls in one place
Big Sur Notification Center Updates
- New data rich native widgets
- Support for third party widgets
Big Sur Messages Updates
- Pinned conversations – up to 9
- Mentions let you direct a message to an individual in a group conversation
- Inline replies let you reply to a specific message earlier in the conversation
- new emojis
- #images – find trending gifs to message
Big Sur Messages Maps
- Updated cities with 3d map experience
- Guides for curated recommendations
- indoor maps for airports and malls
- Better cycling directions
- Electric vehicle routing
macOS 10.15.5.
Catalina Mac OS 10.15. was just released on the 26th of May macOS Catalina. It is still in beta but could be downloaded from developer.apple.com if you have a developer account. New features that this update will bring to Mac is a battery health feature that is supposed to reduce the rate at which the device's battery ages. This feature will analyze the charging patterns of the battery and the current state of its health and then control the extent to which it would get charged so as to slow-down chemical aging. This feature can be turned on and off from System Preferences > Energy Saver.
Even though macOS Big Sur version beta 8 is out. In this next post, you will receive information about the latest final macOS version – macOS Catalina. We will tell you about the changes and improvements that have been brought to Mac with this newest operating system and we will also briefly mention some of the more notable features of previous macOS releases.
Additionally, you will learn how to check the current macOS version on your Mac as well as how to upgrade and downgrade it.
Newest FeaturesThe latest operating system for Mac is called Catalina (mac OS version 10.15.5) and it is the sixteenth major upgrade for macOS. As of May 2020, it has become the current operating system for Mac computers. Its name is inspired by Santa Catalina Island, an island located in California's Channel.
Notable changes made with macOS Catalina are the removal of iTunes, the addition of the Sidecar feature, the expansion of the iPhone and iPad Screen Time featureto Mac computers, and others. Additionally, significant changes have also been made to the macOS security. Below, we will have a quick look at each of these improvements:
Battery Life ImprovementThe CPU and TurboBoost function have been both optimized for an increased battery life. It works by shutting off CPU cores but allowing for a higher frequency rate on working cores to sustain performance.
iTunes removaliTunes has been a part of Mac computers ever since 2001 but with Catalina, it has officially been terminated. Now, with the latest macOS release, instead of iTunes, users will have access to three separate apps that together take over the functions of iTunes. Those apps are Music, TV, and Podcasts.
As for managing your devices, with Catalina, this is done via Finder and not via an app.
SidecarThis feature allows Mac users who also own an iPad to turn their iPads into second screens for their Mac computers. The Mac screen could be extended to the iPad or they could both show the same content (mirror screen). Sidecar also works with Apple pen, enabling users to use their iPads as drawing tablets.
Screen TimeThis is an iPhone and iPad feature that, with Catalina, has been carried over to Mac computers. Screen Time allows you to track the usage of all your Apple devices, providing useful information on how your time is being spent across them.
Find MyHow To Upgrade To Latest Os On Mac
The Find My app implements the Find My Mac and Find my Friends technology to provide users with the ability to potentially find their lost/stolen device. This technology does this by employing Bluetooth and the help of other devices that are near the lost/stolen one.
Security ImprovementsOne of the biggest changes made that came with Catalina is related to the security of the macOS.
The first improvement is the Read-Only system volume – a dedicated system volume that allows Catalina to run separately from other data, thereby preventing any potential attempts at tampering with system files done by malware and hackers.
Next, the Gatekeeperfeature, which previously only used to check the sources of new apps, now also checks the apps themselves and prevents them from running if it deems them potentially unsafe.
Thirdly, unlike earlier macOS releases, Catalina requires explicit user approval if an app wants to access data stored in the Desktop, Downloads, and Documents folder. Only after the user gives their permission would the app be able to gain access to such data.
Other changesOne other notable change is that 32-bit apps can no longer be run on Mac computers if the latter have been updated to Catalina, making macOS Mojave the last macOS release that supports 32-bit apps.
Older versions
In this section of the article, we will briefly go over the older macOS releases and the most notable changes they've introduced, starting with the leaser recent one:
Yosemite (10.10) – released on the 16th of October, 2014
Yosemite overhauled macOS's user interface and introduced the Continuity and Handoff features which improved and expanded pairing between iOS and macOS devices. Receiving phone calls and text messages was now possible on either device and so was editing same documents across devices.
Later on, a Yosemite update replaced Aperture and iPhoto with Photos.
El Capitan (10.11) – released on the 30th of September, 2015
This macOS release was focused on system performance improvements and changes to already existing features. Public transport information was made available in the Mapsapp, the Notesapp received interface improvements, and the Metal API performance-enhancing app was officially introduced to macOS.
Sierra (10.12) – released on the 20th of September, 2016
Sierra brought Siri to Mac computers and added several Mac-exclusive features for the app. Improvements were also made to the iCloudapp, which could now store user data from the Desktopand Documentsfolders, allowing syncing of those folders with other Macs that share an Apple ID. Additionally, Sierra website support for Apple Pay through the use of a nearby Touch ID or iOS device for authentication.
High Sierra (10.13) – released on the 25th of September, 2017
Most improvements here were 'under-the-hood' – High Sierra brought improvements to VR support, as well as to apps such as Safari, Spotlight, Notes, and Photos. High Sierra was the first to start using Apple File Systemand it also introduced the successor to the Metal API performance-enhancement application – Metal 2.
Mojave (10.14) – released on the 24 of September, 2018
New features introduced by Mojavewere the Dynamic Desktop, Desktop Stack, and Dark Mode. Several iOS-exclusive apps such as Home, Apple News, and Voice Memoswere also carried over to macOS.
How to check the current version on your Mac
In order to find out what your current macOS version is, click on the Apple menulocated in the top-left corner of your screen and then select the option labeled About this Mac. The current version of your macOS will be shown at the top of the Overviewtab. If it says that your current version is macOS Catalina 10.15.14, then it means that your Mac has the latest stable macOS version. If you see any other version written there, you may want to update your Mac to Catalina 10.15.14 (see below)
How to update to the latest macOS version
To get the latest macOS version, you must open the Mac App Store and search for Catalina. Once you find the Catalina update, click on the download (Get) button and wait for the download to complete. Since the update is nearly 5 GB, downloading it may take a while, just be patient. Once the update has been downloaded, the installer will be launched automatically. To install the update, simply follow the steps from the installer.
How to downgrade macOS version (using Time Machine)
Note that in order to perform this downgrade with the help of Time Machine, you will need to have first created a Time Machine backup disk from when you still had the earlier macOS version. If you have such a backup, here's how to use it in order to downgrade your OS.
Warning: It is highly advisable that you back up any important data you've created or downloaded since your Mac got updated to the Catalina OS. Otherwise, such data would be lost after the downgrade!
Time Needed :30 minutes
How to downgrade macOS version (using Time Machine)
- Time Machine
Enter the Time Machine backup disk into your Mac.
- Restart
Click on the apple icon and press Restart
- Settings
Toggle through the snapshots with the arrows until you find an appropriate date before updating to the latest OS version. Then click RESTORE
- Snapshots
From the options that appear, select the one labeled Restore From Time Machine Backup and then select Continue. External hard drive not mounting mac mojave.
- Continue
5. The next screen will ask you to once again click on the Continue button- do it.
- Restore
Now, select the backup drive as your Restore Source.
- Upload
On the next screen, you will see all available backups – select the latest one that's been made prior to updating your Mac to Catalina.
- Complete
Confirm the restoration and wait for the process to complete.
- Mac OS X
These advanced steps are primarily for system administrators and others who are familiar with the command line. You don't need a bootable installer to upgrade macOS or reinstall macOS, but it can be useful when you want to install on multiple computers without downloading the installer each time.
What you need to create a bootable installer
- A USB flash drive or other secondary volume, formatted as Mac OS Extended, with at least 12GB of available storage
- A downloaded installer for macOS Big Sur, Catalina, Mojave, High Sierra, or El Capitan
Download macOS
- Download: macOS Big Sur, macOS Catalina, macOS Mojave, or macOS High Sierra
These download to your Applications folder as an app named Install macOS [version name]. If the installer opens after downloading, quit it without continuing installation. To get the correct installer, download from a Mac that is using macOS Sierra 10.12.5 or later, or El Capitan 10.11.6. Enterprise administrators, please download from Apple, not a locally hosted software-update server. - Download: OS X El Capitan
This downloads as a disk image named InstallMacOSX.dmg. On a Mac that is compatible with El Capitan, open the disk image and run the installer within, named InstallMacOSX.pkg. It installs an app named Install OS X El Capitan into your Applications folder. You will create the bootable installer from this app, not from the disk image or .pkg installer.
Use the 'createinstallmedia' command in Terminal
- Connect the USB flash drive or other volume that you're using for the bootable installer.
- Open Terminal, which is in the Utilities folder of your Applications folder.
- Type or paste one of the following commands in Terminal. These assume that the installer is in your Applications folder, and MyVolume is the name of the USB flash drive or other volume you're using. If it has a different name, replace
MyVolume
in these commands with the name of your volume.
Big Sur:* Download star vpn for mac.
Catalina:*
Mojave:*
High Sierra:*
El Capitan:
* If your Mac is using macOS Sierra or earlier, include the --applicationpath
argument and installer path, similar to the way this is done in the command for El Capitan.
After typing the command:
- Press Return to enter the command.
- When prompted, type your administrator password and press Return again. Terminal doesn't show any characters as you type your password.
- When prompted, type
Y
to confirm that you want to erase the volume, then press Return. Terminal shows the progress as the volume is erased. - After the volume is erased, you may see an alert that Terminal would like to access files on a removable volume. Click OK to allow the copy to proceed.
- When Terminal says that it's done, the volume will have the same name as the installer you downloaded, such as Install macOS Big Sur. You can now quit Terminal and eject the volume.
Use the bootable installer
Determine whether you're using a Mac with Apple silicon, then follow the appropriate steps:
Apple silicon
- Plug the bootable installer into a Mac that is connected to the internet and compatible with the version of macOS you're installing.
- Turn on your Mac and continue to hold the power button until you see the startup options window, which shows your bootable volumes and a gear icon labled Options.
- Select the volume containing the bootable installer, then click Continue.
- When the macOS installer opens, follow the onscreen instructions.
Intel processor
- Plug the bootable installer into a Mac that is connected to the internet and compatible with the version of macOS you're installing.
- Press and hold the Option (Alt) ⌥ key immediately after turning on or restarting your Mac.
- Release the Option key when you see a dark screen showing your bootable volumes.
- Select the volume containing the bootable installer. Then click the up arrow or press Return.
If you can't start up from the bootable installer, make sure that the External Boot setting in Startup Security Utility is set to allow booting from external media. - Choose your language, if prompted.
- Select Install macOS (or Install OS X) from the Utilities window, then click Continue and follow the onscreen instructions.
Learn more
For more information about the createinstallmedia
command and the arguments that you can use with it, make sure that the macOS installer is in your Applications folder, then enter the appropriate path in Terminal:
- Big Sur: /Applications/Install macOS Big Sur.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia
- Catalina: /Applications/Install macOS Catalina.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia
- Mojave: /Applications/Install macOS Mojave.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia
- High Sierra: /Applications/Install macOS High Sierra.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia
- El Capitan: /Applications/Install OS X El Capitan.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia
How To Update To The Latest Os On Mac
A bootable installer doesn't download macOS from the internet, but it does require an internet connection to get firmware and other information specific to the Mac model.