Find out about the latest version of macOS 15 Sequoia, compatibility, problems, new features, and what’s new in macOS 15.1.
macOS Sequoia has been available for compatible Macs since September 2024, but further updates to Seqoia are expected over the next few months, with the first major update being macOS 15.1, which arrived on October 28.
If you want to know what the new features are, whether you will be able to enjoy all of them, and if your Mac is ebven compatible with Sequoia, read on. We are also tracking any problems, the latest updates, and what’s new in the beta.
The new version of macOS is called Sequoia, named after the Californian National Park and, more specifically, the world’s largest trees. Among the new features coming to Macs in Sequoia are iPhone mirroring, which puts your iPhone screen on your Mac’s display and lets you interact with it via your mouse and keyboard, a new Video conferencing presenter preview, and changes to Safari. In addition, developers will be easily able to port games between iPhone, Mac, and iPad.
The free software update brings a raft of interface tweaks, bug fixes, and new features. In this article, we discuss everything you need to know about macOS 15 Sequoia including how to download it. We also link to various tutorials about how to use the new features. Some features will only work on Macs with an M-series chip, including several Apple Intelligence features that will offer help with writing, creating images, editing photos, and more.
Some people have been running Sequoia for some time thanks to Apple’s beta testing program. In this article, we also discuss the latest versions of both the developer and public beta.
Update: Apple released macOS Sequoia 15.1 on October 28. macOS Sequoia: Latest version
macOS 15.1
The latest version of macOS Sequoia is macOS 15.1. It arrived on October 28. This major update brings the first rast of Apple Intelligence features to Macs with the M-series chip.
macOS 15.0.1 was released on October 3, 2024. It did not contain new features, but it did include two important bug fixes. One bug fix corrected the error that led Messages to quit when replying to a message that shared an Apple Watch face. The other fix was for compatibility with third-party security software.
Apple released macOS Sequoia to the public earlier than usual, alongside iOS 18 on Monday, September 16. iOS 18, watchOS and iPadOS 18 were released at the same time. The next major update to Sequoia will be macOS 15.1 which is expected by the end of the month.
For information about what is coming in the next version look at the latest version of the Sequoia beta section below. macOS Sequoia: Features in macOS Sequoia 15.1
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macOS Sequoia 15.1 includes a number of new AI features that work on M-series Macs:
Writing Tools – offering spelling and grammar support and helping you edit or summarize text. These features can be used around the operating system.
Siri – new design and Type To Siri. (Type to Siri isn’t a new feature, but Apple’s making it more obvious for those of us who hate talking to Siri). Siri will be better at maintaining context while you ask related questions.
Reduce Interruptions – a new AI Focus Mode that will filter out unimportant notifications.
Smart Reply – you’ll be able to use these in Messages and Mail.
Photos – Memory Movie will create slideshows based on a text description. You can also use a Clean Up tool to remove unwanted elements of a photo. Improvements to photo search.
Summaries – Safari will be able to summarize articles.
iPhone Mirroring – Drag files from iPhone to Mac and back.
Audio transcriptions – You can get audio transcriptions of your audio recordings in Notes. macOS Sequoia: What’s coming in in macOS Sequoia 15.2
Release date: December 2024 (expected)
On October 23, Apple released the macOS Sequoia 15.2 beta 1 to developers.
This update will bring even more Apple Intelligence features including improvements to Writing T~ools, generative AI Image Playground, ChatGPT integration for Siri and Writing Tools. macOS Sequoia: Problems & bugs
Several third-party security tools have reported issues with the new version of the Mac operating system. Read more here: Hold off on updating to macOS Sequoia if you’re using cybersecurity tools.
CrowdStrike referenced “changes in the network stack” in an alert sent to its customers and has held off on support for the new OS.
ESET indicated that there is a problem is with ESET Cyber Security version 6, an older version that “will be End of Life soon.”
Firefox apparently has firewall-related issues with Sequoia.
Messages could quit if a message including an Apple Watch face was replied to (fixed in macOS 15.0.1)
Compatibility with third-party security software was addressed in macOS 15.0.1.
Having problems with Sequoia? Read: How to downgrade macOS Sequoia to SonomamacOS Sequoia compatibility: Which Macs will be able to run macOS 15?
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The following Macs get support for macOS 15.
iMac from 2019 and later
Mac Pro from 2019 and later
iMac Pro from 2017
Mac Studio from 2022 and later
MacBook Air from 2020 and later
Mac mini from 2018 and later
MacBook Pro from 2018 and later
There are two 13-inch MacBook Air models from 2018 and 2019 running Sonoma that won’t be able to install Sequoia.
The compatibility list is becoming a pressing concern for users of Intel Macs. After Apple introduced its M-series Macs, the company said it would continue to support Intel Macs for several years, but it did not offer specifics. The clock is ticking on Intel Macs, but the last generation of Intel Macs remains on the macOS 15 compatibility list with a few Intel Macs that can run macOS Sequoia.
However, only Macs with an M1, M2, or M3-series chip will support the new AI features referred to as “Apple Intelligence.” That includes the following:
iMac from 2021 and later
Mac Pro from 2023
Mac Studio from 2022 and later
MacBook Air from late 2020 and later
Mac mini from late 2020 and later
MacBook Pro from late 2020 and later
If your Mac can’t be updated to Sequoia that doesn’t mean you are completely abandoned by Apple. Apple will provide security updates for some Macs that don’t run macOS 15. Generally, Apple provides software updates for the past two versions of macOS. See: How long does Apple support Macs? On average, Macs get 6.6 years of macOS updates.
To find out which version of macOS and older Mac can run take a look at our macOS compatibility list.macOS Sequoia: Should I install Sequoia?
As long as your Mac can run it, we recommend updating to Sequoia.
