Editing MacOS (section)

{{Short description|Operating system for Apple computers}}
{{Lowercase title}}
{{Redirect2|OSX|OS X}}
{{About|macOS version 10.0 and later|Mac OS 9 and earlier|Classic Mac OS|the family of Mac operating systems|Mac operating systems|the Ugandan school nicknamed "Macos"|Makerere College School}}
{{pp-semi-indef}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2019}}
{{Infobox OS
| name = macOS
| logo = [[File:MacOS wordmark (2017).svg|frameless|upright=0.8|class=skin-invert]]
| screenshot = Screenshot of macOS Sequoia.png
| screenshot_size = 260px
| caption = [[macOS Sequoia]], the latest release of macOS
| developer = [[Apple Inc.|Apple]]
| family = {{hlist|[[Mac operating systems|Mac]]|[[Unix]]}}
| released = {{Start date and age|2001|03|24}}
| ui = [[Aqua (user interface)|Aqua]] ([[Graphical user interface|graphical]])
| license = [[Commercial software]], [[proprietary software]]
| website = {{Official URL}}
| language count = 47
| language footnote = <ref>{{Cite web
|title=macOS Feature Availability
|url=https://developer.apple.com/library/archive/documentation/DeviceDrivers/Conceptual/IOKitFundamentals/Features/Features.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/TP0000012-TPXREF101
|website=System Language
|access-date=March 25, 2024
|archive-date=January 22, 2021
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210122035953/https://developer.apple.com/library/archive/documentation/DeviceDrivers/Conceptual/IOKitFundamentals/Features/Features.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/TP0000012-TPXREF101
|url-status=live
}}</ref>
| language = {{flatlist|
* Arabic
* Catalan
* Chinese
** Simplified
** Traditional
* Croatian
* Czech
* Danish
* Dutch
* English
* Finnish
* French
* German
* Greek
* Hebrew
* Hindi
* Hungarian
* Indonesian
* Italian
* Japanese
* Korean
* Malay
* Norwegian Bokmål
* Polish
* Portuguese
* Romanian
* Russian
* Spanish
* Slovak
* Swedish
* Thai
* Turkish
* Ukrainian
* Vietnamese
}}
| supported_platforms = {{Unbulleted list
  | '''Apple silicon ([[ARM64]]):'''
  | {{in5|3}} [[ARMv9-A]] ([[macOS Sonoma|15.0]]–)
  | {{in5|3}} [[ARMv8-A]] ([[macOS Big Sur|11.0]]–)
  | '''Intel ([[x86]]):'''
  | {{in5|3}} [[x86-64]] ([[Mac OS X Tiger|10.4.7]]–)
  | {{in5|3}} [[IA-32]] ([[Mac OS X Tiger|10.4.4]]–[[Mac OS X Snow Leopard|10.6.8]])
  | '''[[PowerPC]]:'''
  | {{in5|3}} [[PowerPC 970|ppc970]] ([[Mac OS X 10.4|10.4]]–[[Mac OS X Leopard|10.5.8]])
  | {{in5|3}} [[PowerPC G4|ppc7400]] ([[Mac OS X 10.0|10.0]]–[[Mac OS X Leopard|10.5.8]])
  | {{in5|3}} [[PowerPC 7xx|ppc]] ([[Mac OS X 10.0|10.0]]–[[Mac OS X Tiger|10.4.11]])
  }}
| source_model = [[Proprietary software|Proprietary]] (with [[open source software|open source]] components)
| working_state = Current
| kernel_type = [[Hybrid kernel|Hybrid]] ([[XNU]])<!-- It already says "Unix" under "family"; the kernel code came from Mach and BSD (and Apple's own work), not "Unix", and has its own name and Wikipedia page -->
| userland = 
| programmed_in = {{Flatlist|
* [[assembly language|ASM]]
* [[C (programming language)|C]]
* [[C++]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=What Is the I/O Kit? |url=https://developer.apple.com/library/archive/documentation/DeviceDrivers/Conceptual/IOKitFundamentals/Features/Features.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/TP0000012-TPXREF101 |website=IOKit Fundamentals |quote=Apple considered several programming languages for the I/O Kit and chose a restricted subset of C++. |access-date=September 4, 2018 |archive-date=January 22, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210122035953/https://developer.apple.com/library/archive/documentation/DeviceDrivers/Conceptual/IOKitFundamentals/Features/Features.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/TP0000012-TPXREF101 |url-status=live }}</ref>
* {{nowrap|[[Objective-C]]}}
* [[Swift (programming language)|Swift]]<ref>{{Cite web |date=June 14, 2016 |title=What's New in Swift |url=https://developer.apple.com/videos/play/wwdc2016/402 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160804212016/https://developer.apple.com/videos/play/wwdc2016/402 |archive-date=August 4, 2016 |access-date=June 16, 2016 |website=[[Apple Developer]] |at=At 2:40 |type=Video |df=mdy-all}}</ref>
}}
| preceded_by = [[Classic Mac OS]], [[NeXTSTEP]]
| support_status = Supported
}}
{{macOS sidebar}}

'''macOS''', previously '''OS&nbsp;X''' and originally '''Mac&nbsp;OS&nbsp;X''', is a [[Unix|Unix-based]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.techopedia.com/definition/2639/macintosh-operating-system-mac-os |title=Macintosh Operating System (Mac OS) |last=Gunnell |first=Marshall |website=Technopedia |date=June 5, 2024 |access-date=January 13, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.pcmag.com/encyclopedia/term/macos |title=macOS |work=PC Magazine |access-date=January 13, 2025}}</ref> [[operating system]] developed and marketed by [[Apple Inc.|Apple]] since 2001. It is the current operating system for Apple's [[Mac (computer)|Mac computers]]. Within the market of [[Desktop computer|desktop]] and [[laptop]] computers, it is the [[Usage share of operating systems#Desktop and laptop computers|second most widely used desktop OS]], after [[Microsoft Windows]] and ahead of all [[Linux]] distributions, including [[ChromeOS]] and [[SteamOS]]. {{As of|2024|}}, the most recent release of macOS is [[MacOS Sequoia|macOS 15 Sequoia]], the 21st major version of macOS.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-09-16 |title=Apple Launches macOS Sequoia With iPhone Mirroring, Passwords App, Window Tiling Updates and More |url=https://www.macrumors.com/2024/09/16/apple-releases-macos-sequoia/ |access-date=2024-10-19 |website=MacRumors}}</ref>

Mac OS X succeeded [[classic Mac OS]], the primary [[Mac operating systems|Macintosh operating system]] from 1984 to 2001. Its underlying architecture came from [[NeXT]]'s [[NeXTSTEP]], as a result of [[NeXT#1997–2006: Acquisition by Apple|Apple's acquisition of NeXT]], which also brought [[Steve Jobs]] back to Apple. The first desktop version, [[Mac OS X 10.0]], was released on March 24, 2001. [[Mac OS X Leopard]] and all later versions of macOS,<ref>*{{cite web|title=Apple technology brief on UNIX|url=https://movies.apple.com/media/us/osx/2012/docs//OSX_for_UNIX_Users_TB_July2011.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120710081938/https://movies.apple.com/media/us/osx/2012/docs/OSX_for_UNIX_Users_TB_July2011.pdf|archive-date=July 10, 2012|access-date=November 5, 2008|publisher=[[Apple Inc.|Apple]]|df=mdy-all}}
*{{cite web|url=http://www.opengroup.org/openbrand/register/brand3555.htm|title=Mac OS X Version 10.5 on Intel-based Macintosh computers|publisher=The Open Group|date=May 18, 2007|access-date=February 21, 2013|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080511222112/http://www.opengroup.org/openbrand/register/brand3555.htm|archive-date=May 11, 2008|df=mdy-all}}
*{{Cite web |title=Mac OS X Version 10.6 on Intel-based Macintosh computers |url=https://www.opengroup.org/openbrand/register/brand3581.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141116122629/https://www.opengroup.org/openbrand/register/brand3581.htm |archive-date=November 16, 2014 |access-date=December 4, 2014 |publisher=The Open Group |df=mdy-all }}
*{{cite web|title=Mac OS X Version 10.8 on Intel-based Macintosh computers|url=https://www.opengroup.org/openbrand/register/brand3591.htm|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141116121907/https://www.opengroup.org/openbrand/register/brand3591.htm|archive-date=November 16, 2014|access-date=December 4, 2014|publisher=The Open Group|df=mdy-all}}
*{{cite web|title=OS X Version 10.9 on Intel-based Macintosh computers|url=https://www.opengroup.org/openbrand/register/brand3602.htm|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131104072633/https://www.opengroup.org/openbrand/register/brand3602.htm|archive-date=November 4, 2013|access-date=December 4, 2014|publisher=The Open Group|df=mdy-all}}
*{{cite web|title=OS X version 10.10 Yosemite on Intel-based Mac computers|url=https://www.opengroup.org/openbrand/register/brand3607.htm|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141110131010/https://www.opengroup.org/openbrand/register/brand3607.htm|archive-date=November 10, 2014|access-date=December 4, 2014|publisher=The Open Group|df=mdy-all}}
*{{cite web|title=OS X version 10.11 El Capitan on Intel-based Mac computers|url=https://www.opengroup.org/openbrand/register/brand3612.htm|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151015001306/https://www.opengroup.org/openbrand/register/brand3612.htm|archive-date=October 15, 2015|access-date=October 23, 2015|publisher=The Open Group|df=mdy-all}}
*{{cite web|title=macOS version 10.12 Sierra on Intel-based Mac computers|url=https://www.opengroup.org/openbrand/register/brand3627.htm|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161002105135/https://www.opengroup.org/openbrand/register/brand3627.htm|archive-date=October 2, 2016|access-date=September 29, 2016|publisher=The Open Group|df=mdy-all}}
*{{cite web|title=macOS version 10.13 High Sierra on Intel-based Mac computers|url=https://www.opengroup.org/openbrand/register/brand3632.htm|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170928150433/https://www.opengroup.org/openbrand/register/brand3632.htm|archive-date=September 28, 2017|access-date=November 19, 2017|publisher=The Open Group|df=mdy-all}}
*{{cite web|title=macOS version 10.14 Mojave on Intel-based Mac computers|url=https://www.opengroup.org/openbrand/register/brand3648.htm|access-date=September 24, 2018|publisher=The Open Group|archive-date=May 7, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210507074445/https://www.opengroup.org/openbrand/register/brand3648.htm|url-status=live}}
*{{cite web|title=macOS version 10.15 Catalina on Intel-based Mac computers|url=https://www.opengroup.org/openbrand/register/brand3653.htm|access-date=November 19, 2018|publisher=The Open Group|archive-date=April 10, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210410234632/https://www.opengroup.org/openbrand/register/brand3653.htm|url-status=live}}
*{{cite web|title=macOS version 11.0 Big Sur on Intel-based Mac computers|url=https://www.opengroup.org/openbrand/register/brand3663.htm|access-date=November 19, 2020|publisher=The Open Group|archive-date=October 20, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211020025114/https://www.opengroup.org/openbrand/register/brand3663.htm|url-status=live}}
*{{cite web|title=macOS version 11.0 Big Sur on Apple silicon-based Mac computers|url=https://www.opengroup.org/openbrand/register/brand3668.htm|access-date=November 19, 2020|publisher=The Open Group|archive-date=April 17, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210417121624/https://www.opengroup.org/openbrand/register/brand3668.htm|url-status=live}}
*{{cite web|title=macOS version 12.0 Monterey on Intel-based Mac computers|url=https://www.opengroup.org/openbrand/register/brand3673.htm|publisher=The Open Group|archive-date=November 5, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211105143717/https://www.opengroup.org/openbrand/register/brand3673.htm|url-status=live}}
*{{cite web|title=macOS version 12.0 Monterey on Apple silicon-based Mac computers|url=https://www.opengroup.org/openbrand/register/brand3678.htm|publisher=The Open Group|archive-date=November 8, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211108024814/https://www.opengroup.org/openbrand/register/brand3678.htm|url-status=live}}
*{{cite web|title=macOS version 13.0 Ventura on Apple Intel-based Mac computers|url=https://www.opengroup.org/openbrand/register/brand3688.htm|publisher=The Open Group|archive-date=December 31, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221231222726/https://www.opengroup.org/openbrand/register/brand3688.htm|url-status=live}}
*{{cite web|title=macOS version 13.0 Ventura on Apple silicon-based Mac computers|url=https://www.opengroup.org/openbrand/register/brand3683.htm|publisher=The Open Group|archive-date=December 31, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221231222655/https://www.opengroup.org/openbrand/register/brand3683.htm|url-status=live}}
*{{cite web|title=macOS version 14.0 Sonoma on Intel-based Mac computers|url=https://www.opengroup.org/openbrand/register/brand3705.htm|publisher=The Open Group|access-date=October 3, 2023|archive-date=October 15, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231015042122/https://www.opengroup.org/openbrand/register/brand3705.htm|url-status=live}}
*{{cite web|title=macOS version 14.0 Sonoma on Apple silicon-based Mac computers|url=https://www.opengroup.org/openbrand/register/brand3700.htm|publisher=The Open Group|access-date=October 3, 2023|archive-date=October 15, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231015042121/https://www.opengroup.org/openbrand/register/brand3700.htm|url-status=live}}
*{{cite web|title=macOS version 15.0 Sequoia on Intel-based Mac computers|url=https://www.opengroup.org/openbrand/register/brand3715.htm|publisher=The Open Group|access-date=September 12, 2024|archive-date=September 30, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240930165023/https://www.opengroup.org/openbrand/register/brand3715.htm|url-status=live}}
*{{cite web|title=macOS version 15.0 Sequoia on Apple silicon-based Mac computers|url=https://www.opengroup.org/openbrand/register/brand3710.htm|publisher=The Open Group|access-date=September 12, 2024|archive-date=October 1, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241001100129/https://www.opengroup.org/openbrand/register/brand3710.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> other than [[OS X Lion]],<ref>{{Cite mailing list |title=Re: was OS X version 10.7 Lion UNIX 03 certified? |url=https://www.mail-archive.com/austin-group-l@opengroup.org/msg02006.html |access-date=2021-07-22 |mailing-list=austin-group-l |archive-date=April 29, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200429213555/https://www.mail-archive.com/austin-group-l@opengroup.org/msg02006.html |url-status=live }}</ref> are [[UNIX 03]] certified. The derivatives of macOS are Apple's other operating systems: [[iOS]], [[iPadOS]], [[watchOS]], [[tvOS]], [[audioOS]] and [[visionOS]]. macOS has supported three major processor architectures: originally [[PowerPC]]-based Macs in 1999; [[Apple–Intel architecture|Intel Core-based Macs]] from [[Apple transition to Intel|2006]]; and self-designed [[AArch64|64-bit Arm]] [[Apple M series]] Macs since [[Mac transition to Apple silicon|2020]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Evans |first=Jonny |date=June 22, 2020 |title=WWDC 2020: Yes, Apple is dumping Intel, gently |url=https://www.computerworld.com/article/3563894/wwdc-2020-yes-apple-is-dumping-intel-gently.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230925222253/https://www.computerworld.com/article/3563894/wwdc-2020-yes-apple-is-dumping-intel-gently.html |archive-date=September 25, 2023 |access-date=September 25, 2023 |website=[[Computerworld]]}}</ref>

A prominent part of macOS's original [[brand identity]] was the use of [[Roman numerals|Roman numeral]] X, pronounced "ten", as well as [[Code name|code naming]] each release after species of [[big cat]]s, and later, places within [[California]].<ref name="techMavericks">{{Cite news |last=Ha |first=Anthony |date=June 10, 2013 |title=Apple Has A New, California-Based Naming Scheme For OS X, Starting With OS X Mavericks |work=TechCrunch |url=https://techcrunch.com/2013/06/10/os-x-mavericks |url-status=live |access-date=June 10, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170709214256/https://techcrunch.com/2013/06/10/os-x-mavericks |archive-date=July 9, 2017 |df=mdy-all}}</ref> Apple shortened the name to "OS X" in 2011 and then changed it to "macOS" in 2016 to align with the branding of Apple's other operating systems.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/apple-wwdc-2016-ios-10-mac-os-and-more/|title=Apple unveils iOS 10, macOS, and more at WWDC 2016|first=Brian|last=Mastroianni|date=June 13, 2016|website=[[CBS News]]|quote=Perhaps one of the announcements that stood out the most was a slight name change. The desktop operating system Mac OS X will now be called macOS to better match with the way the company's other operating systems are named.|access-date=September 25, 2023|archive-date=September 25, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230925210258/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/apple-wwdc-2016-ios-10-mac-os-and-more/|url-status=live}}</ref> After 16 distinct [[Software versioning|versions]] of macOS 10, [[macOS Big Sur]] was presented as version 11 in 2020, and every subsequent version has also incremented the major version number, similarly to classic Mac OS and iOS, but is still named after places within California.