Editing MacOS (section)

== History ==
=== Development ===
{{Main|macOS version history}}
The heritage of what would become macOS had originated at [[NeXT]], a company founded by [[Steve Jobs]] following his departure from Apple in 1985. There, the [[Unix-like]] [[NeXTSTEP]] operating system was developed, before being launched in 1989. The [[kernel (operating system)|kernel]] of NeXTSTEP is based upon the [[Mach (kernel)|Mach kernel]], which was originally developed at [[Carnegie Mellon University]], with additional kernel layers and low-level [[user space]] code derived from parts of [[FreeBSD]]<ref name="apple_bsd_overview">{{Cite web |year=2002 |title=Apple BSD Overview |url=https://developer.apple.com/library/archive/documentation/Darwin/Conceptual/KernelProgramming/BSD/BSD.html |access-date=January 1, 2002 |publisher=Apple |archive-date=November 7, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181107021823/https://developer.apple.com/library/archive/documentation/Darwin/Conceptual/KernelProgramming/BSD/BSD.html |url-status=live }}</ref> and other [[BSD]] operating systems.<ref>{{Cite book |title=NeXTstep Concepts |publisher=[[NeXT]] |chapter=1. System Overview |chapter-url=https://www.nextcomputers.org/NeXTfiles/Docs/NeXTStep/3.3/nd/Concepts/Pre3.0_Concepts/01_SysOver.htmld/index.html |access-date=March 26, 2021 |archive-date=November 21, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211121155935/https://www.nextcomputers.org/NeXTfiles/Docs/NeXTStep/3.3/nd/Concepts/Pre3.0_Concepts/01_SysOver.htmld/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Its [[graphical user interface]] was built on top of an [[object-oriented]] [[GUI toolkit]] using the {{nowrap|[[Objective-C]]}} programming language.

Throughout the 1990s, Apple had tried to create a "next-generation" OS to succeed its [[classic Mac OS]] through the [[Taligent]], [[Copland (operating system)|Copland]] and [[Gershwin operating system|Gershwin]] projects, but all were eventually abandoned.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Apple Facts |url=https://www.theapplemuseum.com/index.php?id=44 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081221134115/https://www.theapplemuseum.com/index.php?id=44 |archive-date=December 21, 2008 |access-date=December 15, 2008 |publisher=The Apple Museum |quote=a joint venture with IBM, called Taligent, but was discontinued soon thereafter |df=mdy-all}}</ref> This led Apple to acquire [[NeXT]] in 1997, allowing NeXTSTEP, later called [[OpenStep|OPENSTEP]], to serve as the basis for Apple's next generation operating system.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Markoff |first=John |date=December 23, 1996 |title=Why Apple Sees Next as a Match Made in Heaven |page=D1 |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F06E1D71331F930A15751C1A960958260 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080531063010/https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F06E1D71331F930A15751C1A960958260 |archive-date=May 31, 2008 |df=mdy-all}}</ref>
This purchase also led to Steve Jobs returning to Apple as an interim, and then the permanent CEO, shepherding the transformation of the programmer-friendly OPENSTEP into a system that would be adopted by Apple's primary market of home users and creative professionals. The project was first codenamed "[[Rhapsody (operating system)|Rhapsody]]" before officially being named Mac OS X.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Fawcett |first=Neil |date=February 12, 1998 |title=Rhapsody suffers an identity crisis |url=https://business.highbeam.com/411267/article-1G1-20334085/rhapsody-suffers-identity-crisis |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130502033350/https://business.highbeam.com/411267/article-1G1-20334085/rhapsody-suffers-identity-crisis |archive-date=May 2, 2013 |access-date=April 19, 2012 |website=[[Computer Weekly]] |publisher=[[Reed Business Information]] |df=mdy-all}}{{subscription required}}</ref><ref name="Rhapsody and Blues">{{Cite web |last=Siracusa |first=John |date=April 3, 2008 |title=Rhapsody and Blues |url=https://arstechnica.com/staff/2008/04/rhapsody-and-blues |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151104224017/https://arstechnica.com/staff/2008/04/rhapsody-and-blues |archive-date=November 4, 2015 |access-date=30 November 2015 |website=[[Ars Technica]] |df=mdy-all}}</ref>

=== Mac OS X ===
The letter "X" in Mac OS X's name refers to the number 10, a [[Roman numerals|Roman numeral]], and Apple has stated that it should be pronounced "ten" in this context. However, it is also commonly pronounced like the letter "X".<ref name="ArsTec 2006.03" /><ref name="BBC OSX name">{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00z8dnj/Click_26_02_2011 |title=Click – BBC TV programme |date=February 26, 2011 |last=Kelly |first=Spencer |publisher=[[BBC]] |at=00:12:45 |access-date=March 20, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110318005840/https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00z8dnj/Click_26_02_2011 |archive-date=March 18, 2011 |url-status=live |quote=Of course X ("ex") does mean 10, but anyone who used to poke around on Unix systems will know that in those days anything Unix had an X ("ex") in it, and OS Ten is written OS X ("ex") in honour of the fact that it is based on UNIX, unlike its predecessors. So, hey, you can say it any way you want; me, I'm showing my age and sticking with X (''ex''). |df=mdy-all}}</ref> The [[iPhone X]], [[iPhone XR]] and [[iPhone XS]] all later followed this convention.

Previous Macintosh operating systems (versions of the [[classic Mac OS]]) were named using [[Arabic numerals]], as with [[Mac OS 8]] and [[Mac OS 9]].<ref name="ten_not_x">{{Cite web |date=July 15, 2004 |title=What is an operating system (OS)? |url=https://support.apple.com/kb/TA22541 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090226055954/https://support.apple.com/kb/TA22541 |archive-date=February 26, 2009 |access-date=December 20, 2006 |publisher=[[Apple Inc.|Apple]] |quote=The current version of Mac OS is Mac OS X (pronounced "Mac O-S ten"). |df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref name="ArsTec 2006.03">{{Cite web |last=Siracusa |first=John |date=March 24, 2006 |title=Five years of Mac OS X |url=https://arstechnica.com/apple/reviews/2006/03/osx-fiveyears.ars |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090625184020/https://arstechnica.com/apple/reviews/2006/03/osx-fiveyears.ars |archive-date=June 25, 2009 |access-date=April 15, 2009 |website=[[Ars Technica]] |publisher=[[Condé Nast Publishing|Condé Nast Digital]] |quote=Even Steve Jobs still says "ecks" instead of "ten" sometimes. |df=mdy-all}}</ref> Until [[macOS Big Sur|macOS 11 Big Sur]], all versions of the operating system were given version numbers of the form 10.''x'', with this going from 10.0 up until 10.15; starting with [[macOS Big Sur|macOS 11 Big Sur]], Apple switched to numbering major releases with numbers that increase by 1 with every major release.

The first version of Mac OS X, [[Mac OS X Server 1.0]], was a transitional product, featuring an interface resembling the [[classic Mac OS]], though it was not compatible with software designed for the older system. Consumer releases of Mac OS X included more [[backward compatibility]]. Mac OS applications could be rewritten to run natively via the [[Carbon (API)|Carbon API]]; many could also be run directly through the [[List of macOS components#Classic|Classic Environment]] with a reduction in performance.

The consumer version of Mac OS X was launched in 2001 with [[Mac OS X 10.0]]. Reviews were variable, with extensive praise for its sophisticated, glossy [[Aqua (user interface)|Aqua interface]], but criticizing it for sluggish performance.<ref name="Siracusa decade of Mac OS X reviews">{{Cite web |last=Siracusa |first=John |date=May 13, 2011 |title=Here's to the crazy ones: a decade of Mac OS X reviews |url=https://arstechnica.com/apple/2011/05/mac-os-x-revisited/2 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208074957/https://arstechnica.com/apple/2011/05/mac-os-x-revisited/2 |archive-date=December 8, 2015 |access-date=November 30, 2015 |website=[[Ars Technica]] |df=mdy-all}}</ref> With Apple's popularity at a low, the maker of [[FrameMaker]], [[Adobe Inc.]], declined to develop new versions of it for Mac OS X.<ref name="Adobe discontinues FrameMaker for Macintosh">{{Cite web |last=Dalrymple |first=Jim |date=March 23, 2004 |title=Adobe discontinues FrameMaker for Macintosh |url=https://www.macworld.com/article/1030037/framemaker.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208120913/https://www.macworld.com/article/1030037/framemaker.html |archive-date=December 8, 2015 |access-date=30 November 2015 |website=[[Macworld]] |df=mdy-all}}</ref> ''[[Ars Technica]]'' columnist John Siracusa, who reviewed every major OS X release up to 10.10, described the early releases in retrospect as "dog-slow, feature poor" and Aqua as "unbearably slow and a huge resource hog".<ref name="Siracusa decade of Mac OS X reviews" /><ref name="Lion review Siracusa" /><ref name="Jon Rubinstein sends message to HP staff; Addresses TouchPad reviews">{{Cite web |last=Rubenstein |first=John |date=July 1, 2011 |title=Jon Rubinstein sends message to HP staff; Addresses TouchPad reviews |url=https://www.webosnation.com/jon-rubenstein-sends-message-hp-staff-addresses-touchpad-reviews |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208123726/https://www.webosnation.com/jon-rubenstein-sends-message-hp-staff-addresses-touchpad-reviews |archive-date=December 8, 2015 |access-date=November 30, 2015 |website=WebOS Nation |df=mdy-all}}</ref>

Apple rapidly developed several new releases of Mac OS X.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Spolsky |first=Joel |date=June 13, 2004 |title=How Microsoft Lost the API War |url=https://www.joelonsoftware.com/articles/APIWar.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090426050037/https://www.joelonsoftware.com/articles/APIWar.html |archive-date=April 26, 2009 |access-date=April 15, 2009 |quote=The developers of the Macintosh OS at Apple have always been in this camp [i.e. not trying to be backwards compatible no matter what]. It's why so few applications from the early days of the Macintosh still work... |df=mdy-all}}</ref> Siracusa's review of version 10.3, [[Mac OS X Panther|Panther]], noted "It's strange to have gone from years of uncertainty and [[vaporware]] to a steady annual supply of major new operating system releases."<ref name="OS X Panther review Siracusa">{{Cite web |last=Siracusa |first=John |date=November 9, 2003 |title=OS X Panther review |url=https://arstechnica.com/apple/2003/11/macosx-10-3 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151126155239/https://arstechnica.com/apple/2003/11/macosx-10-3 |archive-date=November 26, 2015 |access-date=30 November 2015 |website=[[Ars Technica]] |df=mdy-all}}</ref> Version 10.4, [[Mac OS X Tiger|Tiger]], reportedly shocked executives at [[Microsoft]] by offering a number of features, such as fast file searching and improved graphics processing, that Microsoft had spent [[Development of Windows Vista|several years struggling]] to add to [[Windows Vista]] with acceptable performance.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Gregg Keizer |date=January 29, 2007 |title=Microsoft's Vista Had Major Mac Envy, Company E-Mails Reveal |url=https://www.informationweek.com/microsofts-vista-had-major-mac-envy-company-e-mails-reveal/d/d-id/1051287 |magazine=Information Week |access-date=July 10, 2021 |archive-date=July 11, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210711175300/https://www.informationweek.com/microsofts-vista-had-major-mac-envy-company-e-mails-reveal/d/d-id/1051287 |url-status=live }}</ref>

As the operating system evolved, it moved away from the [[classic Mac OS]], with applications being added and removed.<ref name="Orlowski Jaguar review">{{Cite web |last=Orlowski |first=Andrew |author-link=Andrew Orlowski |title=The Jagwyre Review |url=https://www.theregister.co.uk/2002/08/27/the_jagwyre_review |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170920045015/https://www.theregister.co.uk/2002/08/27/the_jagwyre_review |archive-date=September 20, 2017 |access-date=19 September 2017 |website=The Register |quote=Using Mac OS X is like touring a land of fabulous ancient treasures – with a tourist authority that's still busy renovating them, and that hasn't quite completed the infrastructure. The sights can be breathtaking, but the roads are potholed and incomplete, and sometimes you have to get out and push. There are a few magnificent modern additions – Rendezvous, AppleScript Studio, for example – but in places the modern Apple archaeologists seem to have forgotten their ancestors techniques, and have resorted to inferior contemporary methods such as the Windows bodge of using three letter extensions for identifying the file type. |df=mdy-all}}</ref> Considering music to be a key market, Apple developed the [[iPod]] music player and music software for the Mac, including [[iTunes]] and [[GarageBand]].<ref name="Apple and the Oak Tree">{{Cite web |last=Thompson |first=Ben |date=August 2, 2017 |title=Apple and the Oak Tree |url=https://stratechery.com/2017/apple-and-the-oak-tree |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170920045301/https://stratechery.com/2017/apple-and-the-oak-tree |archive-date=September 20, 2017 |access-date=19 September 2017 |website=Stratechery |df=mdy-all}}</ref> Targeting the consumer and media markets, Apple emphasized its new "digital lifestyle" applications such as the [[iLife]] suite, integrated home entertainment through the [[Front Row (software)|Front Row]] media center and the [[Safari (browser)|Safari]] web browser. With the increasing popularity of the internet, Apple offered additional online services, including the .Mac, [[MobileMe]] and most recently [[iCloud]] products. It later began selling third-party applications through the [[Mac App Store]].

Newer versions of Mac OS X also included modifications to the general interface, moving away from the striped gloss and transparency of the initial versions. Some applications began to use a [[Brushed Metal (interface)|brushed metal]] appearance, or non-pinstriped title bar appearance in version 10.4.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rizzo |first=John |date=November 12, 2003 |title=Mac OS X 10.3 Panther |url=https://www.builderau.com.au/news/soa/Mac-OS-X-10-3-Panther/0,339028227,320280883,00.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081208235440/https://www.builderau.com.au/news/soa/Mac-OS-X-10-3-Panther/0,339028227,320280883,00.htm |archive-date=December 8, 2008 |access-date=April 15, 2009 |quote=Once you reboot, you'll notice that Apple has abandoned the light and airy Aqua interface for the darker, heavier brushed-metal look of iTunes. |df=mdy-all}}</ref> In Leopard, Apple announced a unification of the interface, with a standardized gray-gradient window style.<ref>{{Cite web |last=W. |first=Jeff |date=May 27, 2008 |title=Mac OS X (10.5)&nbsp;– User Interface Changes |url=https://helpdesk.wisc.edu/page.php?id=6609 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110720114352/https://helpdesk.wisc.edu/page.php?id=6609 |archive-date=July 20, 2011 |access-date=April 15, 2009 |publisher=University of Wisconsin |df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref name="OS X Leopard review Siracusa">{{Cite web |last=Siracusa |first=John |date=October 29, 2007 |title=OS X Leopard review |url=https://arstechnica.com/apple/2007/10/mac-os-x-10-5 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151125191152/https://arstechnica.com/apple/2007/10/mac-os-x-10-5 |archive-date=November 25, 2015 |access-date=30 November 2015 |website=[[Ars Technica]] |df=mdy-all}}</ref>

In 2006, the first [[Intel]] Macs were released with a specialized version of [[Mac OS X Tiger|Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Mac OS X versions (builds) for computers – Apple Support |url=https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204319 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150514151331/https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204319 |archive-date=May 14, 2015 |access-date=May 24, 2015 |website=support.apple.com |df=mdy-all}}</ref>

A key development for the system was the announcement and release of the [[iPhone]] from 2007 onwards. While Apple's previous [[iPod classic|iPod]] media players used a [[Embedded operating system|minimal]] operating system, the iPhone used an operating system based on Mac OS X, which would later be called "[[IPhone OS 1|iPhone OS]]" and then [[iOS]]. The simultaneous release of two operating systems based on the same frameworks placed tension on Apple, which cited the iPhone as forcing it to delay [[Mac OS X Leopard|Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard]].<ref name="Apple announces Leopard delays due to the iPhone">{{Cite web |last=Chartier |first=David |title=Apple announces Leopard delays due to the iPhone |url=https://www.engadget.com/2007/04/12/apple-announces-leopard-delays-due-to-the-iphone |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208125414/https://www.engadget.com/2007/04/12/apple-announces-leopard-delays-due-to-the-iphone |archive-date=December 8, 2015 |access-date=30 November 2015 |website=Engadget |date=April 12, 2007 |df=mdy-all}}</ref> However, after Apple opened the iPhone to third-party developers its commercial success drew attention to Mac OS X, with many iPhone software developers showing interest in Mac development.<ref name="WWDC 2009 Wrap-Up">{{Cite web |last=Gruber |first=John |title=WWDC 2009 Wrap-Up |url=https://daringfireball.net/2009/06/wwdc09_wrapup |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208045529/https://daringfireball.net/2009/06/wwdc09_wrapup |archive-date=December 8, 2015 |access-date=30 November 2015 |website=Daring Fireball |df=mdy-all}}</ref>

In 2007, [[Mac OS X Leopard|Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard]] was the sole release with [[universal binary]] components, allowing installation on both Intel Macs and select [[PowerPC]] Macs.<ref>{{Cite press release |title=Apple to Ship Mac OS X Leopard on October 26 |url=https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2007/10/16Apple-to-Ship-Mac-OS-X-Leopard-on-October-26/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180128030037/https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2007/10/16Apple-to-Ship-Mac-OS-X-Leopard-on-October-26/ |archive-date=January 28, 2018 |access-date=January 2, 2018 |website=apple.com |df=mdy-all}}</ref> It is also the final release with PowerPC Mac support. [[Mac OS X Snow Leopard|Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard]] was the first version of Mac OS X to be built exclusively for Intel Macs, and the final release with 32-bit Intel Mac support.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard |url=https://store.apple.com/us/product/MC573Z/A/mac-os-x-106-snow-leopard |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150525072701/https://store.apple.com/us/product/MC573Z/A/mac-os-x-106-snow-leopard |archive-date=May 25, 2015 |access-date=May 24, 2015 |website=Apple Store (U.S.) |df=mdy-all}}</ref> The name was intended to signal its status as an iteration of Leopard, focusing on technical and performance improvements rather than user-facing features; indeed it was explicitly branded to developers as being a 'no new features' release.<ref name="Snow Leopard—an OS without new features">{{Cite web |last=Turner |first=Dan |title=Apple's Snow Leopard—an OS without new features |url=https://www.macworld.com/article/1133949/snowleopard.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180109063859/https://www.macworld.com/article/1133949/snowleopard.html |archive-date=January 9, 2018 |access-date=8 January 2018 |website=Macworld |df=mdy-all}}</ref> Since its release, several OS X or macOS releases (namely [[OS X Mountain Lion]], [[OS X El Capitan]], [[macOS High Sierra]], and [[macOS Monterey]]) follow this pattern, with a name derived from its predecessor, similar to the '[[tick–tock model]]' used by Intel.

In two succeeding versions, [[OS X Lion|Lion]] and [[OS X Mountain Lion|Mountain Lion]], Apple moved some applications to a highly [[Skeuomorph#Use in Apple products|skeuomorphic]] style of design inspired by contemporary versions of iOS while simplifying some elements by making controls such as scroll bars fade out when not in use.<ref name="Lion review Siracusa">{{Cite web |last=Siracusa |first=John |date=July 20, 2011 |title=Lion review |url=https://arstechnica.com/apple/2011/07/mac-os-x-10-7 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151214144440/https://arstechnica.com/apple/2011/07/mac-os-x-10-7 |archive-date=December 14, 2015 |website=[[Ars Technica]] |df=mdy-all}}</ref> This direction was, like brushed metal interfaces, unpopular with some users, although it continued a trend of greater animation and variety in the interface previously seen in design aspects such as the [[Time Machine (OS X)|Time Machine]] [[Backup software|backup]] utility, which presented past file versions against a swirling nebula, and the glossy translucent [[Dock (OS X)|dock]] of [[OS X Leopard|Leopard]] and [[OS X Snow Leopard|Snow Leopard]].<ref name="Apple's History of Skeuomorphism">{{Cite web |last=Brand |first=Thomas |date=July 24, 2012 |title=Apple's History of Skeuomorphism |url=https://eggfreckles.net/2012/07/24/apples-history-of-skeuomorphism |access-date=March 21, 2020 |website=Egg Freckles |archive-date=August 3, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200803195613/https://eggfreckles.net/2012/07/24/apples-history-of-skeuomorphism/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> In addition, with [[Mac OS X Lion|Mac OS X 10.7 Lion]], Apple ceased to release separate [[OS X Server|server]] versions of Mac OS X, selling server tools as a separate downloadable application through the Mac App Store. A review described the trend in the server products as becoming "cheaper and simpler... shifting its focus from large businesses to small ones."<ref name="Guide to OS X Server">{{Cite web |last=Cunningham |first=Andrew |date=July 29, 2012 |title=Server, simplified: A power user's guide to OS X Server |url=https://arstechnica.com/apple/2012/07/the-server-simplified-a-power-users-guide-to-os-x-server |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208042819/https://arstechnica.com/apple/2012/07/the-server-simplified-a-power-users-guide-to-os-x-server |archive-date=December 8, 2015 |access-date=2 December 2015 |website=[[Ars Technica]] |df=mdy-all}}</ref>

=== OS X ===
[[File:The OS X Logo.svg|thumb|200px|OS X logo used until 2013]]
In 2012, with the release of [[OS X Mountain Lion|OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion]], the name of the system was officially shortened from Mac OS X to OS X, after the [[OS X Lion|previous version]] shortened the system name in a similar fashion a year prior. That year, Apple removed the head of OS X development, [[Scott Forstall]], and design was changed towards a more minimal direction.<ref name="guardian">{{Cite news |last=Arthur |first=Charles |date=2012-10-30 |title=Apple's Tim Cook shows ruthless streak in firing maps and retail executives &#124; Technology &#124; guardian.co.uk |work=Guardian |location=London |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2012/oct/30/apple-tim-cook-ruthless-streak |url-status=live |access-date=2012-12-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171024152617/https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2012/oct/30/apple-tim-cook-ruthless-streak |archive-date=October 24, 2017 |df=mdy-all}}</ref> Apple's new user interface design, using deep color saturation, text-only buttons and a minimal, 'flat' interface, was debuted with [[iOS 7]] in 2013. With OS X engineers reportedly working on iOS 7, the version released in 2013, [[OS X Mavericks|OS X 10.9 Mavericks]], was something of a transitional release, with some of the skeuomorphic design removed, while most of the general interface of Mavericks remained unchanged.<ref name="Siracusa OS X Mavericks review">{{Cite web |last=Siracusa |first=John |date=October 22, 2013 |title=OS X Mavericks review |url=https://arstechnica.com/apple/2013/10/os-x-10-9 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151122114828/https://arstechnica.com/apple/2013/10/os-x-10-9 |archive-date=November 22, 2015 |access-date=30 November 2015 |website=[[Ars Technica]] |df=mdy-all}}</ref> The next version, [[OS X Yosemite|OS X 10.10 Yosemite]], adopted a design similar to [[iOS 7]] but with greater complexity suitable for an interface controlled with a mouse.<ref name="OS X Yosemite review">{{Cite web |last=Siracusa |first=John |date=October 16, 2014 |title=OS X Yosemite review |url=https://arstechnica.com/apple/2014/10/os-x-10-10 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151124200435/https://arstechnica.com/apple/2014/10/os-x-10-10 |archive-date=November 24, 2015 |access-date=30 November 2015 |website=[[Ars Technica]] |df=mdy-all}}</ref>

From 2012 onwards, the system has shifted to an annual release schedule similar to that of [[iOS]] and Mac OS X releases prior to [[Mac OS X Tiger|10.4 Tiger]]{{Citation needed|date=December 2023}}. It also steadily cut the cost of updates from Snow Leopard onwards, before removing upgrade fees altogether in [[OS X Mavericks]].<ref name="Mountain Lion Gruber Schiller">{{Cite web |last=Gruber |first=John |title=Mountain Lion |url=https://daringfireball.net/2012/02/mountain_lion |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150811131321/https://daringfireball.net/2012/02/mountain_lion |archive-date=August 11, 2015 |access-date=15 August 2015 |website=Daring Fireball |df=mdy-all}}</ref> Some journalists and third-party software developers have suggested that this decision, while allowing more rapid feature release, meant less opportunity to focus on stability, with no version of OS X recommendable for users requiring stability and performance above new features.<ref name="Apple has lost the functional high ground">{{Cite web |last=Arment |first=Marco |title=Apple has lost the functional high ground |url=https://www.marco.org/2015/01/04/apple-lost-functional-high-ground |access-date=15 August 2015 |archive-date=October 31, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211031132657/https://marco.org/2015/01/04/apple-lost-functional-high-ground |url-status=live }}</ref> Apple's 2015 update, [[OS X El Capitan|OS X 10.11 El Capitan]], was announced to focus specifically on stability and performance improvements.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Hattersley |first=Lucy |title=Mac OS X El Capitan review: The best (and worst) new features |language=en-GB |work=Macworld UK |url=https://www.macworld.co.uk/review/mac-software/mac-os-x-el-capitan-mac-review-3613524 |url-status=live |access-date=2017-05-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170511161056/https://www.macworld.co.uk/review/mac-software/mac-os-x-el-capitan-mac-review-3613524 |archive-date=May 11, 2017 |df=mdy-all}}</ref>

=== macOS ===
[[File:MacOS logo.svg|thumb|200px|Current logo]]
In 2016, with the release of [[macOS Sierra|macOS 10.12 Sierra]], the name was changed from OS X to macOS with the purpose of aligning it with the branding of Apple's other primary operating systems: [[iOS]], [[watchOS]], and [[tvOS]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=June 13, 2016 |title=Apple just renamed one of its oldest and most important products |work=Business Insider |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/wwdc-2016-os-x-becomes-macos-2016-6 |url-status=live |access-date=November 11, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161111191151/https://www.businessinsider.com/wwdc-2016-os-x-becomes-macos-2016-6 |archive-date=November 11, 2016 |df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5jXg_NNiCA |title=Apple – WWDC 2016 Keynote |date=June 15, 2016 |time=2:02:50 |access-date=August 21, 2019 |archive-date=August 31, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190831174723/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5jXg_NNiCA |url-status=live }}</ref> macOS Sierra added [[Siri]], [[iCloud Drive]], picture-in-picture support, a Night Shift mode that switches the display to warmer colors at night, and two Continuity features: Universal Clipboard, which syncs a user's clipboard across their Apple devices, and Auto Unlock, which can unlock a user's Mac with their Apple Watch. macOS Sierra also adds support for the [[Apple File System]] (APFS), Apple's successor to the dated [[HFS+]] file system.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Siracusa |first=John |date=2011-07-20 |title=Mac OS X 10.7 Lion: the Ars Technica review |url=https://arstechnica.com/apple/reviews/2011/07/mac-os-x-10-7.ars |access-date=2022-10-07 |website=Ars Technica |language=en-us |archive-date=May 4, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120504111431/http://arstechnica.com/apple/reviews/2011/07/mac-os-x-10-7.ars |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Bhartiya |first=Swapnil |date=January 13, 2015 |title=Linus Torvalds: Apple's HFS+ is probably the worst file system ever |url=https://www.cio.com/article/251059/linus-torvalds-apples-hfs-is-probably-the-worst-file-system-ever.html |access-date=2022-10-07 |website=CIO |language=en-US |archive-date=October 3, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221003072913/https://www.cio.com/article/251059/linus-torvalds-apples-hfs-is-probably-the-worst-file-system-ever.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Oakley |first=Howard |date=May 16, 2022 |title=Should you continue using HFS+? |url=https://eclecticlight.co/2022/05/16/should-you-continue-using-hfs/ |access-date=2022-10-07 |website=The Eclectic Light Company |language=en |archive-date=June 19, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220619063617/https://eclecticlight.co/2022/05/16/should-you-continue-using-hfs/ |url-status=live }}</ref> [[macOS High Sierra|macOS 10.13 High Sierra]], released in 2017, included performance improvements, [[Metal (API)|Metal 2]] and [[High Efficiency Video Coding|HEVC]] support, and made APFS the default file system for [[Solid-state drive|SSD]] boot drives.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Swain |first=Chris |title=APFS in macOS High Sierra |url=https://www.macinchem.org/blog/files/960e8891940dfc087f89f0b0aa42af9b-2167.php |access-date=2022-10-07 |website=Macs in Chemistry |language=en |archive-date=October 26, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221026093900/https://www.macinchem.org/blog/files/960e8891940dfc087f89f0b0aa42af9b-2167.php |url-status=live }}</ref>

Its successor, [[macOS Mojave|macOS 10.14 Mojave]], was released in 2018, adding a dark mode option and a [[Wallpaper (computing)#macOS|dynamic wallpaper setting]].<ref name="macrumors-mojave">{{Cite web |last=Juli Clover |date=September 24, 2018 |title=Apple Releases macOS Mojave With Dark Mode, Stacks, Dynamic Desktop and More |url=https://www.macrumors.com/2018/09/24/apple-releases-macos-mojave |access-date=September 24, 2018 |website=[[MacRumors]] |archive-date=September 21, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220921235211/https://www.macrumors.com/2018/09/24/apple-releases-macos-mojave/ |url-status=live }}</ref> It was succeeded by [[macOS Catalina|macOS 10.15 Catalina]] in 2019, which replaces [[iTunes]] with separate apps for different types of media, and introduces the Catalyst system for porting iOS apps.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cunningham |first=Andrew |date=2019-10-07 |title=macOS 10.15 Catalina: The Ars Technica review |url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2019/10/macos-10-15-catalina-the-ars-technica-review |access-date=2019-10-07 |website=Ars Technica |language=en-us |archive-date=September 22, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220922032420/https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2019/10/macos-10-15-catalina-the-ars-technica-review/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 2020, Apple announced [[macOS Big Sur|macOS 11 Big Sur]] at that year's WWDC. This was the first increment in the primary version number of macOS since the release of [[Mac OS X Public Beta]] in 2000; updates to macOS 11 were given 11.x numbers, matching the version numbering scheme used by Apple's other operating systems. Big Sur brought major changes to the user interface and was the first version to run on [[Apple Silicon]], based on the [[ARM architecture family|ARM]] architecture.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Tung |first=Liam |date=2020-06-23 |title=Apple Big Sur: Here's what makes new macOS 'biggest update to design in over a decade' |url=https://www.zdnet.com/article/apple-big-sur-heres-what-makes-new-macos-biggest-update-to-design-in-over-a-decade/ |access-date=2020-06-23 |website=ZDNet |language=en-us |archive-date=April 5, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220405090919/https://www.zdnet.com/article/apple-big-sur-heres-what-makes-new-macos-biggest-update-to-design-in-over-a-decade/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The numbering system started with Big Sur continued in 2021 with [[macOS Monterey|macOS 12 Monterey]], 2022 with [[macOS Ventura|macOS 13 Ventura]], 2023 with [[macOS Sonoma|macOS 14 Sonoma]], and 2024 with [[MacOS Sequoia|macOS 15 Sequoia]].

=== Timeline of releases ===
{{macOS versions}}