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MacOS Monterey: Is your computer compatible with Apple's new OS? Here's how to find out

MacOS Monterey is here. We list all the Mac computers that can run Apple's latest OS.

Alison DeNisco Rayome Managing Editor
Managing Editor Alison DeNisco Rayome joined CNET in 2019, and is a member of the Home team. She is a co-lead of the CNET Tips and We Do the Math series, and manages the Home Tips series, testing out new hacks for cooking, cleaning and tinkering with all of the gadgets and appliances in your house. Alison was previously an editor at TechRepublic.
Expertise Home Tips, including cooking, cleaning and appliances hacks Credentials
  • National Silver Azbee Award for Impact/Investigative Journalism; National Gold Azbee Award for Online Single Topic Coverage by a Team; National Bronze Azbee Award for Web Feature Series
Shelby Brown Editor II
Shelby Brown (she/her/hers) is an editor for CNET's services team. She covers tips and tricks for apps, operating systems and devices, as well as mobile gaming and Apple Arcade news. Shelby also oversees Tech Tips coverage. Before joining CNET, she covered app news for Download.com and served as a freelancer for Louisville.com.
Credentials
  • She received the Renau Writing Scholarship in 2016 from the University of Louisville's communication department.
Alison DeNisco Rayome
Shelby Brown
2 min read
Apple's M1-powered 13-inch MacBook Air

Apple's 2020 13-inch MacBook Air will work with MacOS Monterey.

Stephen Shankland/CNET

MacOS Monterey, Apple's latest Mac operating system, arrived on Monday, Oct. 25. The software, also known as MacOS 12, is included on the new laptops announced at Apple's event in October -- both the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro -- and is compatible with a variety of earlier Mac models as well. The new OS was first unveiled at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference in June and includes new features like Universal Control, AirPlay and a host of updates coming to iOS 15 like spatial audio in FaceTime

Whether you installed the MacOS Monterey public beta, or are planning to install the final version, you'll need to have a compatible device. And while the Windows 11 rollout has been full of confusion over which devices will be able to run it, Apple's compatibility list is far more straightforward. 

Read more: The three best features we found in MacOS Monterey so far

Will my Mac run MacOS Monterey?

Here are all the models of Macs that can run MacOS Monterey, according to Apple

  • MacBook, early 2016 and later
  • MacBook Air, early 2015 and later
  • MacBook Pro, early 2015 and later
  • Mac Pro, late 2013 and later
  • Mac Mini, late 2014 and later
  • iMac, late 2015 and later
  • iMac Pro, 2017 and later

As our sister site ZDNet notes, that means that the following Macs will not be able to update to anything beyond MacOS Big Sur

  • iMac, mid- and late 2014 and early 2015 
  • MacBook Air, mid-2013 and early 2014
  • MacBook Pro, late 2013 and mid-2014
  • MacBook, early 2015

For more, check out what we know so far about MacOS Monterey and its features and our guide to whether you should buy a new Mac now, or wait. You can also take a look at the best new features of WatchOS 8 and see if your iPhone is compatible with iOS 15.

Watch this: Hands-on with MacOS Monterey