For information about Apple's terms and conditions read: Should you agree to Apple's terms and conditions. Running Big Sur on another macOS on an unsupported Mac may also be considered against Apple's terms and conditions. If you need Wi-Fi, installing the preview version is not advisable. (For that reason we recommend doing a full backup of your Mac first).įor example, many older Macs have problems with the Wi-Fi connection after installing macOS Big Sur. Be prepared for the fact that your Mac will not function optimally and you could lose data. However, despite this it is possible to run newer macOS versions on older Macs thanks to a patcher.ĭon't expect things to be plain sailing though - in fact you should expect to encounter problems. If you want to run, but your Mac is older than 2013/2014, the new macOS just isn't for you, as far as Apple is concerned anyway. In the case of Catalina that includes all the old-style Mac Pro models, pre-'trash can'. This means that if your Mac is older than 2012 it won't officially be able to run Catalina or Mojave. If you Mac is supported read: How to update to Big Sur. Apple said that would run happily on a late 2009 or later MacBook or iMac, or a 2010 or later MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, Mac mini or Mac Pro. The older macOS High Sierra had a little more scope. Mac Pro models from late 2013 (plus mid-2010 and mid-2012 models with recommended Metal-capable GPU).Mac mini models from late 2012 or laterĪpple advises that macOS Mojave will run on the following Macs:.MacBook Pro models from mid-2012 or later.MacBook Air models from mid-2012 or later.MacBook models from early 2015 or laterĪpple advises that macOS Catalina will run on the following Macs:.

Here's an overview of the Macs that will run Big Sur, according to Apple: We have a macOS compatibility checker here, so you can see which versions of macOS your Mac should be able to run. So if you do install Big Sur, Catalina, or any recent version of macOS on an unsupported Mac don't expect it to run smoothly. Older Macs just don't have the necessary components or power required to cope with the demands of the more modern systems. Which may well mean that your Mac can't officially be updated - unless you follow this tutorial.īefore you go ahead and follow the advice below a word of warning: there is a reason why Apple chooses not to support the new Mac operating system on older Macs. That's all very well, but Apple's most recent version of macOS - Big Sur - won't run on any Mac older than 2013, and in some cases 2014. Apple updates its macOS (previously Mac OS X) desktop and laptop operating system once a year, like clockwork, bringing new features and improvements.

Install big sur on unsupported mac