Aaron Brown
Guest Reporter
Apple will launch its next major macOS update tonight. macOS Sequoia — also known as macOS 15.0 — will be available to download on millions of MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, Mac mini, and Mac Pro machines in a few hours, unlocking the ability to mirror your iPhone on-screen, the ability to snap windowed applications to each corner of the display, rich text in iMessage, a new Passwords app and much more.
If you've got a compatible Mac, macOS Sequoia will become available at 6pm BST on Septembr 16, 2024.
This has been coordinated with the iOS 18 release time due to the enhanced interoperability between iPhone and Mac with these all-new software upgrades.
But while macOS Sequoia will be available to download and install free of charge at 6pm in the UK (1pm in New York, 10am in California, 1am in Singapore, 3am in Sydney) not every Mac will be compatible with the update.
And even if your laptop or desktop PC does qualify for the free operating system update, not all features will be available.
Like the iOS 18 release, Apple Intelligence features will be completely absent for now. Apple has confirmed that Apple Intelligence UK release date is scheduled in December, while Mac and iPhone owners in the United States will be able to start using these clever AI tricks from next month.
For those in the United States, Apple Intelligence will be included with macOS Sequoia 15.1, which is scheduled to roll-out across the UK and worldwide sometime in October.
The release date and time of macOS Sequoia marks an unusually early launch for Apple's latest desktop operating system. Typically, new iterations of macOS are released later in the year, following the iPhone event in early September. Apple usually unveils new models across its Mac and iPad lineup in an October, with the new version of macOS following in the wake of these announcements.
macOS Sequoia release date and time
If you want to be one of the first MacBook or desktop Mac owners to upgrade to macOS Sequoia, this all-new desktop operating system will become available as a free upgrade from:
- 6pm British Summer Time (BST) on September 16, 2024
- 7pm Central European Time (CET) on September 16, 2024
- 1pm Eastern Time (ET) on September 16, 2024
- 10am Pacific Standard Time (PST) on September 16, 2024
- 1am Singapore Standard Time on September 17, 2024
- 3am Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST) on September 17, 2024
How to update to macOS Sequoia
As soon as the macOS Sequoia release time has arrived, you should be able to kickstart the download and installation process for the all-new operating system. If previous years are anything to go by, we'd expect huge demand as millions of Mac owners attempt to download the shiny new version of macOS Apple's servers at 6pm on-the-dot, so it could take a while before macOS 15.0 appears ready-to-download on your device.
To begin the process of updating to macOS Sequoia, click on the Apple logo in the top-left corner of your screen. Then click System Settings > General > Software Update, and then if Sequoia is available, click Update Now. If macOS Sequoia isn't appearing for you, try tapping command + R on the keyboard to refresh the page.
Remember — before you begin updating to macOS Sequoia, back-up all important data using Time Machine or another backup method. Although errors during the upgrade process are pretty rare, they do happen.
The download and installation process may take some time, depending on your internet speed and Mac performance. You should keep your Mac plugged in throughout the update to prevent any interruptions.
Because of the amount of time it can take to download and install the desktop operating system on your laptop or desktop PC, we'd advise not starting the update to macOS Sequoia until you've got a time of window when your Mac won't be needed. Your MacBook, Mac mini, or iMac won't be unusable during the installation process.
After the update, you'll need to login again and will likely encounter prompts to set-up some of the new features. All of your files, personal data, and system settings will be preserved in the upgrade.
Which Mac computers can install macOS Sequoia for free?
macOS Sequoia is compatible with a pretty wide range of Mac models.
With the exception of the MacBook Air released in 2018 and 2019 with Intel's Amber Lake chipsets, every Mac computer capable of running macOS Sonoma — macOS 14.0, the previous iteration of the desktop operating system — will be able to update to its successor, macOS Sequoia.
macOS Sequoia is the first time macOS has ditched support for a Mac with a T2 security chip.
Here's a list of Mac models that are compatible with macOS Sequoia:
- MacBook Air 2020 or newer
- MacBook Pro 2018 or newer
- iMac 2019 or newer
- Mac mini 2018 or newer
- iMac Pro 2017 or newer
- Mac Studio 2022 or newer
- Mac Pro (all models)
If your MacBook or Mac isn't able to update to macOS Sequoia — don't worry. Although you'll miss out on the latest features, you won't be left unprotected from hackers and malware. PC owners of these discontinued Macs will continue to receive critical security updates for macOS Sonoma for an additional two years, Apple says.
It's worth noting that while many Intel-based Macs are able to install and run macOS Sequoia, the flagship Apple Intelligence features will only be available on Macs with M1 chips or later. Appe started to move away from Intel and use its own custom-designed processors, based on the same architecture that it's used for years to power its iPhone and iPad, from November 2020.
For the complete Apple Intelligence experience, users will need devices such as the iPhone 15 Pro, the new iPhone 16 models, iPad Air or Pro models with M1, M2, or M4 chips, and Macs powered by Apple Silicon.
As mentioned above, Apple Intelligence won't be available to test in the UK until December 2024. Apple device owners in the United States will be able to get started a little earlier, with some AI functionality rolling out from October 2024.
3 of the biggest new features coming in macOS Sequoia
There's plenty of overlap between macOS Sequoia and the release of iOS 18, since both of these operating systems share many of the updates to core apps. For example, the upgrades to Apple's iMessage service, which rivals the likes of WhatsApp and Messenger from Facebook, will roll-out simultaneously across both the iPhone and Mac lineup — adding rich text editing, scheduled message sends, and new effects.
Likewise, the entirely new Passwords app to help store your login credentials for online subscriptions, apps, and websites across the web will be coming to all Apple devices with the roll-out of these new software upgrades.
Speaking about the slew of new additions coming to macOS Sequoia when it was announced earlier this summer at WWDC, Apple Senior Vice President of Software Engineering, Craig Federighi said: "The all-star combination of the power of Apple silicon and the legendary ease of use of macOS have made the Mac more capable than ever. Today, we’re excited to take macOS to new heights with macOS Sequoia, a big release that elevates productivity and intelligence.
"macOS Sequoia ushers in Apple Intelligence, unlocking incredible new features that will be a game changer for working on Mac. And with more ways to help users effortlessly get things done, new Continuity features like iPhone Mirroring, major updates to Safari, and a host of new games, we think Mac users are going to love it."
1. iPhone Mirroring
One of the standout features of macOS Sequoia is iPhone Mirroring. For the first time, notifications from your iPhone will appear on your Mac ‚ just like notifications from apps installed on your laptop or desktop PC. That saves you the need to dig-out your iPhone from your pocket each time that it buzzes.
By the integration between the iPhone and Mac goes much, much further with macOS Sequoia.
Clicking on any of these notifications will launch a new windowed application that shows exactly what's happening on your iPhone screen. Yes, this new functionality means Mac owners can fully access and control their iPhone directly from their Mac — even if the phone is across the room and locked.
Using the keyboard, trackpad, or mouse on your Mac, you can interact with every part of the iPhone operating system — opening apps, dismissing notifications, and more. If your iPhone is charging on the other side of the room, the screen will be locked, so nobody can see what you're doing on the handset using your Mac.
2. Window Tiling
macOS Sequoia introduces a new window tiling feature, very similar to the Snap function found in Windows 10 and Windows 11.
It means Mac owners will now be able to easily arrange windows into customised layouts by dragging them to the edge of the screen, where they'll expand to occupy each corner. A number of small apps — like Magnet or BetterSnapTool — have added this Windows-like behaviour to macOS over the years.
3. Safari Upgrades
Safari, which Apple claims is the world's fastest browser, receives significant enhancements in macOS Sequoia. First up, a new Highlights feature lets you quickly discover information on webpages, such as directions, summaries, or quick links. If a song is mentioned in the article, it will be shown within Apple Music — so you can add it to your library with a single click.
The browser also introduces a redesigned Reader view, offering a streamlined reading experience with article summaries and a table of contents for longer pieces. When Safari detects a video on a page, the improved Video Viewer feature will let you hover the player on-top of all your other windows — so you can continue to watch while doing other things. Apple system playback controls will be available on the clip.
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