macOS Big Sur elevates the most advanced desktop operating system in the world to a new level of power and beauty. Experience Mac to the fullest with a refined new design. Enjoy the biggest Safari update ever. Discover new features for Maps and Messages. And get even more transparency around your privacy.

Features:
Bold new experience. Same Mac magic.
Unparalleled power. Legendary ease of use. Limitless creativity. macOS Big Sur brings a refined new design that gives you even more of the things you love about Mac.

Streamlined apps
From full-height sidebars to refreshed toolbars, a clean new app design makes sure your content is always front and center.

Refreshed Dock
A sleek design update makes getting to your favorite apps even easier. And a new uniform shape for app icons adds consistency while letting the personality of Mac shine through.

Control Center for Mac
Instantly access the controls you use most — like Wi-Fi and Bluetooth — and new controls to play music and enable Dark Mode for your display. Designed just for Mac, the new Control Center lets you add controls and drag favorites to the menu bar to customize it just for you.

Notification Center
A new design combines notifications and widgets in a single view for more information at a glance. Notifications are now grouped by app, and many are interactive — letting you do things like play new podcast episodes or learn more about Calendar invitations. And redesigned widgets come in three different sizes, so you can create the best view for you.



The all-new Safari. It’s love at first site.
Whether you’re streaming, searching, or just browsing, Safari is the best way to surf the web on all your Apple devices. And its biggest update ever brings brand-new customization options, improves on industry-leading performance and battery life, and introduces powerful features designed to protect your privacy.

Customizable start page
Set a custom background image to start every browsing session with a view that’s all your own. And decide what appears on your start page — such as your Reading List, Favorites, iCloud Tabs, Siri Suggestions, and even a new Privacy Report.

Safari extensions in the App Store
A new dedicated category in the App Store makes it easy to discover extensions from your favorite developers. New support for the WebExtensions API and migration tools allows developers to bring extensions from other browsers to Safari. And unlike other browsers, Safari asks you which websites each extension can access — keeping your browsing habits even more private.

Improved tab design
Tab lovers rejoice: An elegant new look means more tabs are visible at once. You can hover over any tab to bring up an instant page preview. And when you have several tabs open, Safari makes it easy to find the one you’re looking for with a new space-efficient design.

Translation
Translate entire web pages between seven languages with a single click. (Safari translation (beta) supports English, Spanish, Simplified Chinese, French, German, Russian, and Brazilian Portuguese.)

Password Monitoring
Safari lets you know of any saved passwords that have been compromised in a data breach — and helps you upgrade them.

Privacy Report
Safari uses Intelligent Tracking Prevention to identify trackers and helps prevent them from profiling or following you across the web. Click the Privacy Report button in your Safari toolbar for an instant snapshot of the cross-site trackers Safari is actively preventing from profiling you on that web page. And a new weekly Privacy Report on your start page shows how Safari protects your browsing across all the websites you visit.

Increased performance
We made the fastest desktop browser on the planet even faster. +50% faster on average at loading frequently visited websites than Chrome (Testing conducted by Apple in October 2020 by measuring page load performance of snapshot versions of 10 popular websites under simulated network conditions. Tested on production 1.4GHz quad-core Intel Core i5-based 13-inch MacBook Pro systems with 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD, and prerelease macOS Big Sur. Tested with prerelease Safari 14.0.1 and Chrome v85.0.4183.121. Performance will vary based on usage, system configuration, network connection, and other factors.)

Improved power efficiency
Safari lets you do more online on a single charge than any other browser.
Up to 1.5 hours more streaming videos compared with Chrome and Firefox. Up to 1 hour more browsing compared with Chrome and Firefox. (Testing conducted by Apple in October 2020 on production 1.4GHz quad-core Intel Core i5-based 13-inch MacBook Pro systems with 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD, and prerelease macOS Big Sur. Systems tested with WPA2 Wi-Fi network connection while running on battery power, with display brightness set to 12 clicks from bottom or 75%. Prerelease Safari 14.0.1 tested with HD 1080p content; Chrome v86.0.4240.75 and Firefox v81.0.1 tested with HD 720p content. Not all features are available on all devices. Performance will vary based on system configuration, application workload, and other factors.)



Messages on Mac. The ultimate conversation starter.
Keep track of groups. Express yourself instantly. Drill down into the details. The updated Messages app for Mac gives you all the tools you need to stay in control of the conversation.

Pin conversations
Pin any conversation to keep it at the top of your conversation list. Tapbacks, typing indicators, and recent messages animate above pins. And for quick access to your important conversations, your pins sync across your iPhone, iPad, and Mac.

Inline replies
Reply directly to specific messages in any conversation. Messages automatically starts a new thread under the original reply, so if someone asks a question in a group conversation, it’s easy to keep track of all the replies

Group photos
Every group is different. Make yours stand out at a glance by setting an image with a photo, Memoji, or emoji.

Mentions
Type a name to direct a message to someone. When you are mentioned, your name is highlighted. You can even customize an active group so you only receive notifications when you are mentioned.

#images
Discover trending images and GIFs — and instantly add them to any message.

Memoji
Go ahead — express yourselves. Now you can create and edit Memoji right on your Mac, and instantly share them in messages with Memoji stickers.

Message effects
Because sometimes, words just aren’t enough.

Search
Find it, whatever it is, faster. Search now organizes your results into links and photos and highlights matching terms.



Redesigned Maps.
Better ways to find your way.
Updated to make the most of your big display, Maps on Mac makes trip planning fast and easy. Powerful new features let you easily research destinations in advance. And new ways to navigate take the guesswork out of getting there.

Guides
Discover new places to eat, shop, and explore with curated Guides from brands you love. Create Guides for your own favorite places and share them with friends and family. (Guides are available for the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, New York City, London, and more.)

Cycling routes
From elevation changes to live street traffic, Maps gives you all the tools you need to plan the perfect ride. When you’re finished, just send the route to your iPhone and hit the road. (Cycling directions are available for the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, New York City, Shanghai, Beijing, and London.)

Electric vehicle routing
Plan the perfect road trip — charging stops now included. (Electric vehicle routing requires an iPhone running iOS 14 and a compatible vehicle.)

Look Around
Explore select cities in smooth, immersive 3D on your Mac. It’s the next best thing to being there.

Indoor maps
Browse detailed interior layouts of major airports and shopping centers before you even leave home.



Privacy information on the App Store. More transparency in every download.
New privacy information on the App Store (Privacy information on the App Store will be coming in a macOS Big Sur update later this year.) lets you see a summary of the privacy practices of each app before you decide to download it — just like nutrition labels help you understand what’s in food before you buy it. Developers self-report how they use your data, including what data they collect and whether that data is used to track you across other apps and websites.



And even more:
Editing in Photos
Create standout photos with expanded editing capabilities, including an improved Retouch tool powered by machine learning. (The improved retouch tool in Photos requires 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 (all models), or Mac Pro introduced in 2013 or later.)

AirPods automatic device switching
AirPods seamlessly switch between your active devices paired to the same iCloud account — making it even easier to use them with your Apple devices. (Automatic device switching works with AirPods Pro, AirPods (2nd generation), Powerbeats, Powerbeats Pro, and Beats Solo Pro. Requires iPhone or iPod with the latest version of iOS; iPad with the latest version of iPadOS; or Mac with the latest version of macOS.)

HomeKit Secure Video notifications
Cameras that support HomeKit Secure Video can now take advantage of Face Recognition and Activity Zones, allowing you to tailor notifications to specific people or specific areas in your camera’s view. (Adaptive Lighting, Face Recognition, and Activity Zones in the Home app require an Apple TV, HomePod, or iPad set up as a home hub and compatible HomeKit accessory.)

Listen Now
Listen Now is the new home for Apple Music, featuring new releases, artist interviews, and playlists personalized for you — all in one place. (Apple Music requires a subscription.)

Deeper web knowledge for Siri
Siri can now help you find answers to a broader set of questions by leveraging information from across the web. Ask questions like “How do hybrid cars work?” or “What causes seasons?” and Siri helps you find the answer you’re looking for. (Siri web answers are available in English (U.S., UK, Canada, India, and Australia).

Faster updates
Once macOS Big Sur is installed, software updates begin in the background and finish faster than before — so it’s easier than ever to keep your Mac up to date and secure.

See a full list of what’s new in macOS Big Sur.


New in version 11.3.1:
macOS Big Sur 11.3.1 provides important security updates and is recommended for all users.

New in version 11.3:
macOS Big Sur 11.3 adds support for AirTag, includes iPhone and iPad app improvements for Macs with M1, introduces separate skin tone variations for emoji with couples, and adds more diverse voice options for Siri.

AirTag and Find My
• Support for AirTag to keep track of and find your important items like your keys, wallet, backpack, and more, privately and securely in the Find My app
• The Find My network with hundreds of millions of devices can help you find your AirTag, even when it isn’t nearby
• Lost Mode notifies you when your AirTag is found, and you can enter a phone number where you can be contacted
•
iPhone and iPad apps on Macs with M1
• Option to change an iPhone and iPad app's window size
• Support for displaying the highest resolution version of an iPhone or iPad app in full screen
• Keyboard support for iPhone and iPad games designed to use device tilt
• Keyboard, mouse, and trackpad support for iPhone and iPad games that support game controllers

Emoji
• Support for separate skin tones for each individual in all variations of the couple kissing emoji and couple with heart emoji
• New face emojis, heart emojis, woman with a beard emoji

Siri
• Siri now includes more diverse voice options

Apple Music
• Autoplay keeps music playing by automatically playing a similar song, once you've reached the end of a song or playlist
• City charts showcase what's popular in over 100 cities from all over the world

Podcasts
• Podcasts Show Pages are redesigned to make it easier to start listening
• Option to save and download episodes, automatically adding them to your Library for quick access
• Download behavior and notification settings can be customized on a show-by-show basis
• Top Charts and popular categories in Search help you discover new shows

News
• Redesigned News+ feed enables Apple News+ subscribers to quickly find, download, and manage magazine and newspaper issues
• All-new Search experience that helps you find relevant topics, channels, and stories

Safari
• Start Page section order can now be customized
• Additional WebExtensions API lets developers offer extensions that replace the new tab page
• Web Speech API lets developers incorporate speech recognition into their webpages for real-time captioning, dictation, and voice navigation
• WebM and Vorbis video and audio format support

Reminders
• Ability to sort Today Smart list
• Support for syncing the order of reminders in lists across your devices
• Option to print your reminder lists

Gaming
• Xbox Series X|S Wireless Controller or Sony PS5 DualSense Wireless Controller support

Mac computers with the M1 chip
• Hibernation support 

About This Mac
• About this Mac displays Apple warranty status and AppleCare+ coverage in the Service tab when signed in with Apple ID
• Support for purchasing and enrolling in AppleCare+ for eligible Mac computers from About This Mac

This release also fixes the following issues:
• Reminders created via Siri may be unintentionally set for early morning hours
• iCloud Keychain might not turn off
• AirPods audio routing to incorrect device for Automatic Switching
• AirPods Automatic Switching notifications might be missing or duplicated
• External 4K monitors may not display in full resolution when connected over USB-C
• Login window may not display properly after restarting Mac mini (M1, 2020)
• The Dwell feature may not work in the Accessibility Keyboard

Some features may not be available for all regions or on all Apple devices, and require an Apple ID.

Update is available via the Software Update option in System Preferences.

Requirements:
OS X 10.9+
iMac 2014+
iMac Pro 2017+
Mac Pro 2013+
Mac mini 2014+
MacBook Air 2013+
MacBook Pro 2013+
MacBook 2015+
Universal Binary