macOS is the computer operating system developed by Apple for its Desktop and laptop computers. Back in 1996, when Apple acquired NeXT, Steve Jobs returned to Apple and helped build the first version of Mac OS to compete with Windows. The first Mac OS X Public Beta was released in 2000, and then Mac OS X 10.0 in 2001. With each big update, Apple improved macOS and made it even better. Now Apple has a range of devices, and macOS seamlessly pairs with other Apple devices, such as Apple Watch and iPhone to offer a seamless experience in the Apple ecosystem.
Previously, Apple’s desktop OS used to be called Mac OS X or simply OS X. It was the official name until version 10.11. OS X 10.11: El Capitan was the last OS that used the OS X name. In 2016, Apple released macOS 10.12 Sierra and shifted to macOS. This also helped the company to have a standard name for other operating systems, such as iOS, tvOS, iPadOS, and watchOS.
Also see: Android version list with names
List of all macOS versions
In this article, let’s revisit all versions of Mac OS X that have come so far.
- OS X 10 beta: Kodiak – September 13, 2000
- OS X 10.0: Cheetah – March 14, 2001
- OS X 10.1: Puma – September 15, 2001
- OS X 10.2: Jaguar – August 14, 2002
- OS X 10.3 Panther (Pinot) – October 24, 2003
- OS X 10.4 Tiger (Merlot) – April 29, 2005
- OS X 10.4.4 Tiger (Chardonnay) – January 10, 2006 (for Intel Macs)
- OS X 10.5 Leopard (Chablis) – October 26, 2007
- OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard – August 28, 2009
- OS X 10.7 Lion (Barolo) – July 20, 2011
- OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion (Zinfandel) – July 25, 2012
- OS X 10.9 Mavericks (Cabernet) – October 22, 2013
- OS X 10.10: Yosemite (Syrah) – October 16, 2014
- OS X 10.11: El Capitan (Gala) – September 30, 2015
- macOS 10.12: Sierra (Fuji) – September 20, 2016
- macOS 10.13: High Sierra (Lobo) – September 25, 2017
- macOS 10.14: Mojave (Liberty) – September 24, 2018
- macOS 10.15: Catalina (Jazz) – October 7, 2019
- macOS 11: Big Sur (GoldenGate) – November 12, 2020
- macOS 12: Monterey (Star) – October 25, 2021
- macOS 13: Ventura (Rome) – October 24, 2022
- macOS 14: Sonoma (Sunburst) – September 26, 2023
- macOS 15: Sequoia – September 16, 2024
- macOS 16: Tahoe – September 15, 2025
How to check the version of macOS on your Mac
If you own a MacBook and want to check what version of macOS it is running, you can quickly check it. Click on the Apple icon at the top left corner of your screen and then click About this Mac.
How to check the version of macOS on your Mac
If you own a MacBook and want to check what version of macOS it is running, you can quickly check it. Click on the Apple icon at the top left corner of your screen and then click About this Mac.
Check the name of your current macOS in the Overview section.
If you want to check for the macOS update, click on the Software Update button. Your system must have enough free storage to download the update.
