macOS History · CyberGrind

2001

First Mac OS X

22+

Major versions

~5.5%

Desktop share (2025)

XNU

Hybrid kernel (Mach+BSD)

Free

Since Mavericks (2013)

// Big Cat Era — Mac OS X (2001–2012)

Mar 2001

10.0 Cheetah

First public OS X. Aqua UI, Dock, BSD Unix core. Slow but revolutionary in design and architecture.

2005

10.4 Tiger

Spotlight search, Dashboard, Safari RSS. Shocked Microsoft executives — had features Vista couldn't deliver.

Standout

2007

10.5 Leopard

Time Machine, Boot Camp dual-boot, Spaces, Quick Look. Universal binary for Intel + PowerPC.

2009

10.6 Snow Leopard

Performance-only release — faster, smaller, more stable. Grand Central Dispatch. Intel-only.

Performance Peak

2011

10.7 Lion

Mission Control, Launchpad, Auto Save, full-screen apps. iOS-inspired features arrive on desktop.

2012

10.8 Mountain Lion

iMessages, Notification Center, Gatekeeper security. Renamed from "Mac OS X" to "OS X".

// California Places Era — OS X / macOS (2013–2019)

2013

10.9 Mavericks

First free macOS update — previously $29–$129. Maps, iBooks, Finder Tabs.

Free!

2014

10.10 Yosemite

Flat design to match iOS 7. Continuity and Handoff features link Mac to iPhone.

2016

10.12 Sierra

Siri comes to Mac. Renamed "macOS" to align with iOS/watchOS/tvOS branding.

2019

10.15 Catalina

32-bit app support dropped permanently. iTunes split into Music/TV/Podcasts. Sidecar for iPad as display.

// Apple Silicon Era — macOS 11+ (2020–Present)

Nov 2020

macOS 11 Big Sur

First major version since 2000. M1 chip support, iOS apps, redesigned UI, Control Center, Signed System Volume.

Architecture Shift

Oct 2022

macOS 13 Ventura

Stage Manager multitasking, Continuity Camera (iPhone as webcam), redesigned System Settings.

Sep 2024

macOS 15 Sequoia

Apple Intelligence (AI writing, image gen, Siri overhaul), iPhone Mirroring, Window Tiling.

Apple Intelligence

Sep 2025

macOS 26 Tahoe

Liquid Glass design language, year-based numbering begins, Games app, Spotlight AI actions. Final Intel Mac support.

Current

Naming history: Big Cats (2001–2012) → California locations (2013–2024) → Year-based numbering starts with Tahoe = macOS 26 in 2025, aligning with iOS 26 and all other Apple OS platforms.