macOS Big Sur - Technical Specifications
General Requirements
OS X 10.9 or later
4GB of memory
35.5GB available storage on macOS Sierra or later*
Some features require an Apple ID; terms apply.
Some features require a compatible internet service provider; fees may apply.
Mac Hardware Requirements
For details about your Mac model, click the Apple icon at the top left of your screen and choose About This Mac. These Mac models are compatible with macOS Big Sur:
MacBook (2015 or later)
MacBook Air (2013 or later)
MacBook Pro (Late 2013 or later)
Mac mini (2014 or later)
iMac (2014 or later)
iMac Pro (2017 or later)
Mac Pro (2013 or later)
Learn about compatibility and how to identify your specific Mac model
Feature Requirements
Siri
Requires a broadband internet connection and microphone (built-in or external).
Hey Siri
Supported by the following Mac models:
MacBook Pro (2018 or later)
MacBook Air (2018 or later)
iMac Pro (2017 or later)
Dictation, Voice Control, and Voice Memos
Requires a microphone (built-in or external).
Spotlight Suggestions
Requires a broadband internet connection.
Gestures
Requires a Multi-Touch trackpad, Force Touch trackpad, Magic Trackpad, or Magic Mouse.
Force Touch gestures require a Force Touch trackpad.
VoiceOver gestures require a Multi-Touch trackpad, Force Touch trackpad, or Magic Trackpad.
Photo Booth
Requires a FaceTime or iSight camera (built-in or external) or USB video class (UVC) camera.
FaceTime
Audio calls require a microphone (built-in or external) and broadband internet connection.
Video calls require a built-in FaceTime camera, an iSight camera (built-in or external), or a USB video class (UVC) camera; and broadband internet connection.
Apple TV
High Dynamic Range (HDR) video playback is supported by the following Mac models:
MacBook Pro (2018 or later)
iMac Pro (2017 or later)
Mac Pro (2019) with Pro Display XDR
Dolby Atmos soundtrack playback is supported by the following Mac models:
MacBook Air (2018 or later)
MacBook Pro (2018 or later)
Sidecar
Supported by the following Mac models:
MacBook (2016 or later)
MacBook Air (2018 or later)
MacBook Pro (2016 or later)
Mac mini (2018 or later)
iMac (late 2015 or later)
iMac Pro (2017 or later)
Mac Pro (2019)
Supported by all iPad models with Apple Pencil support:
12.9-inch iPad Pro
11-inch iPad Pro
10.5-inch iPad Pro
9.7-inch iPad Pro
iPad (6th generation or later)
iPad mini (5th generation)
iPad Air (3rd and 4th generation)
Continuity Camera
Requires an iPhone or iPad that supports iOS 12 or later.
Continuity Sketch and Continuity Markup
Requires an iPhone with iOS 13 or later or an iPad with iPadOS 13 or later.
Handoff
Requires an iPhone or iPad with a Lightning connector or with USB-C and iOS 8 or later.
Instant Hotspot
Requires an iPhone or iPad with cellular connectivity, a Lightning connector or USB-C, and iOS 8.1 or later. Requires Personal Hotspot service through your carrier.
Universal Clipboard
Requires an iPhone or iPad with a Lightning connector or with USB-C and iOS 10 or later.
Auto Unlock
Requires an Apple Watch with watchOS 3 or later or an iPhone 5 or later.
Approve with Apple Watch
Requires an Apple Watch with watchOS 6 or later or an iPhone 6s or later with iOS 13 or later.
Apple Pay on the Web
Requires a MacBook Pro or MacBook Air with Touch ID, an iPhone 6 or later with iOS 10 or later, or an Apple Watch with watchOS 3 or later.
Phone Calling
Requires an iPhone with iOS 8 or later and an activated carrier plan.
SMS
Requires an iPhone with iOS 8.1 or later and an activated carrier plan.
Home
Requires an iPhone with iOS 12 or later and a configured Home app.
AirDrop
AirDrop to iOS and iPadOS devices requires an iPhone or iPad with a Lightning connector or with USB-C and iOS 7 or later.
AirPlay
AirPlay Mirroring requires an Apple TV (2nd generation or later).
AirPlay for web video requires an Apple TV (2nd generation or later).
Peer-to-peer AirPlay requires a Mac (2012 or later) and an Apple TV (3rd generation rev A, model A1469 or later) with Apple TV software 7.0 or later.
Maps electric vehicle routing
Requires an iPhone with iOS 14 and a compatible electric vehicle.
Maps license plate restrictions
Requires an iPhone running iOS 14 or an iPad running iPadOS 14.
Boot Camp
Allows Boot Camp installations of Windows 10 on supported Mac models.
Exchange Support
Requires Microsoft Office 365, Exchange 2016, Exchange 2013, or Exchange Server 2010. Installing the latest Service Packs is recommended.
Windows Migration
Supports OS X 10.7 or later and Windows 7 or later.
App Store
Available only to persons age 13 or older in the U.S. and many other countries and regions.
Photos
The improved Retouch tool is supported on the following Mac models:
MacBook Pro (15-inch and 16-inch models) introduced in 2016 or later
iMac (Retina 5K models) introduced in 2014 or later
iMac (Retina 4K models) introduced in 2017 or later
iMac Pro (2017 or later)
Mac Pro introduced in 2013 or later
What’s Included
Applications
Apple Books
Apple News
App Store
Automator
Calculator
Calendar
Chess
Contacts
Dictionary
DVD Player
FaceTime
Find My
Font Book
Home
Image Capture
Launchpad
Mail
Maps
Messages
Mission Control
Music
Notes
Photo Booth
Photos
Podcasts
Preview
QuickTime Player
Reminders
Safari
Siri
Stickies
Stocks
System Preferences
TextEdit
Time Machine
TV
Voice Memos
Utilities and Features
Activity Monitor
AirPort Utility
Audio MIDI Setup
Bluetooth File Exchange
Boot Camp Assistant
ColorSync Utility
Console
Digital Color Meter
Disk Utility
Grapher
Keychain Access
Migration Assistant
Screenshot
Screen Time
Script Editor
Sidecar
System Information
Terminal
VoiceOver Utility
Languages
Arabic
Catalan
Croatian
Simplified Chinese
Traditional Chinese
Traditional Chinese (Hong Kong)
Czech
Danish
Dutch
English (Australia)
English (UK)
English (U.S.)
Finnish
French
French (Canada)
German
Greek
Hebrew
Hindi
Hungarian
Indonesian
Italian
Japanese
Korean
Malay
Norwegian
Polish
Brazilian Portuguese
Portuguese
Romanian
Russian
Slovak
Spanish
Spanish (Latin America)
Swedish
Thai
Turkish
Ukrainian
Vietnamese
* If upgrading from macOS Sierra or later, macOS Big Sur requires 35.5GB of available storage to upgrade. If upgrading from an earlier release, macOS Big Sur requires up to 44.5GB of available storage.
Some features may not be available for all countries or regions. View complete list.
iCloud requires an Apple ID, an active internet connection, and up-to-date software. Learn more about specific iCloud feature requirements