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macOS Sonoma (macOS 14) Q&A
Update Published July 14, 2023
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Which Macs are compatible with macOS Sonoma (macOS 14)? What are the system requirements? What are the major new features? Do all features work with all supported Macs?
Apple first introduced macOS Sonoma -- also called macOS 14 -- on June 5, 2023. A public beta was released on July 12, 2023 and the "final" consumer version is expected to ship in autumn 2023.
Photo Credit: Apple, Inc. (macOS Sonoma)
Just like earlier versions of the macOS for many years now, macOS Sonoma is free and only formally available to install using Apple's own App Store.
New macOS Sonoma Features
Apple's official press release for macOS Sonoma highlights that the operating system "brings all‑new capabilities for elevating productivity and creativity," which is not dissimilar from the company's promotion for the last two versions of the macOS, macOS Ventura (macOS 13) and macOS Monterey (macOS 12).
More specifically, Apple states that macOS Sonoma:
[Brings] a rich set of features that elevate the Mac experience. Stunning screen savers and powerful widgets unlock an entirely new way to personalize. Users can now place widgets right on the desktop, interact with them with just a click, and through the magic of Continuity, access the extensive ecosystem of iPhone widgets on their Mac.
In macOS Sonoma, video conferencing also gets more engaging with great new features to help users present remotely, like Presenter Overlay, which places a presenter on top of the content being shared, and Reactions, which enables fun gesture-triggered video effects in cinematic quality.
Significant updates come to Safari, taking the web experience to the next level. Profiles keeps browsing separate between multiple topics or projects, and web apps provide faster access to favorite sites.
And gaming gets even better, with the introduction of Game Mode, exciting new titles, and a new game porting toolkit that makes it even easier for developers to bring more games to Mac.
The majority of the new features are minor, but the improvements to video conferencing, screen sharing, workflows, and accessibility definitely are worthwhile for enhancing productivity. Minor tweaks to save time and strengthen security always are beneficial, too.
In fine print elsewhere, though, is that Apple has dropped support for a number of fairly recent Macs. The most notable new features only are supported by the very latest Macs, also.
System Requirements
In marketing copy and technical documentation, Apple specifies that macOS Sonoma runs on these Macs:
- MacBook Air (2018 and later)
- MacBook Pro (2018 and later)
- iMac (2019 and later)
- iMac Pro (2017)
- Mac Pro (2019 and later)
- Mac Studio (2022 and later)
- Mac mini (2018 and later)
Accordingly, compared to the previous version of the macOS -- macOS Ventura (macOS 13) -- macOS Sonoma (macOS 14) drops support for these Macs released in 2017:
- MacBook (Mid-2017)
- MacBook Pro (Mid-2017)
- iMac (Mid-2017)
Identification Help
If you're not sure if your Mac will run macOS Sonoma (macOS 14), all of the supported computers can be identified by the above "subfamily" designations as well as by the Model Identifier in software. More details about specific identifiers are provided in EveryMac.com's extensive Mac Identification section.
To locate the Model Identifier, select "About This Mac" under the Apple Menu on your computer and click the "More Info..." button. Then, click the "System Report" button.
EveryMac.com's Ultimate Mac Lookup feature also can pinpoint these Macs by a variety of other identifiers.
macOS Sonoma (macOS 14) Supported Systems
Specifically, the following Macs, available at the time the operating system was introduced, are compatible with macOS Sonoma:
Sonoma Supported Mac |
Subfamily |
Model ID |
2019 |
||
2019 |
||
2019 |
||
2019 |
||
2019 |
||
2019 |
||
2019 |
||
2020 |
||
2020 |
||
2020 |
||
2020 |
||
2020 |
||
2020 |
||
M1 2021 |
||
M1 2021 |
||
Late 2017 |
||
Late 2017 |
||
Late 2017 |
||
Late 2017 |
||
Late 2018 |
||
2019 |
||
2020 |
||
2020 |
||
2020 |
||
M1, 2020 |
||
M1, 2020 |
||
M2, 2022 |
||
M2, 2022 |
||
M2, 2023 |
||
Mid-2018 13" |
||
Mid-2018 13" |
||
Mid-2018 15" |
||
Mid-2018 15" |
||
Mid-2018 15" |
||
Mid-2018 15" |
||
Mid-2018 15" |
||
2019 13" |
||
2019 13" |
||
2019 15" |
||
2019 15" |
||
2019 15" |
||
2019 15" |
||
2019 15" |
||
2019 13" |
||
2019 13" |
||
2019 16" |
||
2019 16" |
||
2019 16" |
||
2020 13" (2 TB 3) |
||
2020 13" (2 TB 3) |
||
2020 13" (4 TB 3) |
||
2020 13" (4 TB 3) |
||
2019 16" |
||
2019 16" |
||
2019 16" |
||
M1, 2020 |
||
M1 Pro, 2021 |
||
M1 Pro, 2021 |
||
M1 Pro, 2021 |
||
M1 Max, 2021 |
||
M1 Max, 2021 |
||
M1 Pro, 2021 |
||
M1 Max, 2021 |
||
M1 Max, 2021 |
||
M2, 2022 |
||
M2 Pro, 2023 |
||
M2 Pro, 2023 |
||
M2 Max, 2023 |
||
M2 Max, 2023 |
||
M2 Pro, 2023 |
||
M2 Max, 2023 |
||
M2 Max, 2023 |
||
2018 |
||
2018 |
||
2018 |
||
M1, 2020 |
||
M2, 2023 |
||
M2 Pro, 2023 |
||
M2 Pro, 2023 |
||
2019 |
||
2019 |
||
2019 |
||
2019 |
||
2019 |
||
2019 |
||
2019 |
||
2019 |
||
2019 |
||
2019 |
||
2023 |
||
2023 |
||
2023 |
||
2023 |
||
M1 Max, 2022 |
||
M1 Max, 2022 |
||
M1 Ultra, 2022 |
||
M1 Ultra, 2022 |
||
M2 Max, 2023 |
||
M2 Max, 2023 |
||
M2 Ultra, 2023 |
||
M2 Ultra, 2023 |
If your Mac isn't listed above, it isn't compatible with macOS Sonoma (macOS 14).
macOS Sonoma (macOS 14) Features Compatibility
All of the above Macs support macOS Sonoma, but in tiny print, Apple notes that only Apple Silicon models support the Presenter Overlay, React with your Hands using the built-in camera, Game Mode, high-performance mode in the Screen Sharing app, and quicker Siri launch capability (Just "Siri" instead of "Hey Siri").
Accordingly, only the following Macs support these features:
Apple Silicon Sonoma Mac |
Subfamily |
Model ID |
M1 2021 |
||
M1 2021 |
||
M1, 2020 |
||
M1, 2020 |
||
M2, 2022 |
||
M2, 2022 |
||
M2, 2023 |
||
M1, 2020 |
||
M1 Pro, 2021 |
||
M1 Pro, 2021 |
||
M1 Pro, 2021 |
||
M1 Max, 2021 |
||
M1 Max, 2021 |
||
M1 Pro, 2021 |
||
M1 Max, 2021 |
||
M1 Max, 2021 |
||
M2, 2022 |
||
M2 Pro, 2023 |
||
M2 Pro, 2023 |
||
M2 Max, 2023 |
||
M2 Max, 2023 |
||
M2 Pro, 2023 |
||
M2 Max, 2023 |
||
M2 Max, 2023 |
||
M1, 2020 |
||
M2, 2023 |
||
M2 Pro, 2023 |
||
M2 Pro, 2023 |
||
2023 |
||
2023 |
||
2023 |
||
2023 |
||
M1 Max, 2022 |
||
M1 Max, 2022 |
||
M1 Ultra, 2022 |
||
M1 Ultra, 2022 |
||
M2 Max, 2023 |
||
M2 Max, 2023 |
||
M2 Ultra, 2023 |
||
M2 Ultra, 2023 |
If your Mac doesn't have an Apple processor -- from the M1 or M2 family -- it doesn't support these particular features.
Direct Pairing Made for iPhone Hearing Devices
One accessibility feature -- "Made for iPhone hearing devices can now pair directly with Mac" -- apparently only works with a subset of Apple Silicon powered Macs, even. It does not support the iMac M1, MacBook Air M1, MacBook Pro 13" M1, and Mac mini M1 models.
Accordingly, this accessibility feature only works with these Macs:
Applicable Sonoma Macs |
Subfamily |
Model ID |
M2, 2022 |
||
M2, 2022 |
||
M2, 2023 |
||
M1 Pro, 2021 |
||
M1 Pro, 2021 |
||
M1 Pro, 2021 |
||
M1 Max, 2021 |
||
M1 Max, 2021 |
||
M1 Pro, 2021 |
||
M1 Max, 2021 |
||
M1 Max, 2021 |
||
M2, 2022 |
||
M2 Pro, 2023 |
||
M2 Pro, 2023 |
||
M2 Max, 2023 |
||
M2 Max, 2023 |
||
M2 Pro, 2023 |
||
M2 Max, 2023 |
||
M2 Max, 2023 |
||
M2, 2023 |
||
M2 Pro, 2023 |
||
M2 Pro, 2023 |
||
2023 |
||
2023 |
||
2023 |
||
2023 |
||
M1 Max, 2022 |
||
M1 Max, 2022 |
||
M1 Ultra, 2022 |
||
M1 Ultra, 2022 |
||
M2 Max, 2023 |
||
M2 Max, 2023 |
||
M2 Ultra, 2023 |
||
M2 Ultra, 2023 |
For someone who uses a made for iPhone hearing device, it is no doubt disappointing that some current Macs do not support this feature. If this accessibility feature is important to you, choose your Mac carefully.
macOS Sonoma Summary
Ultimately, macOS Sonoma brings a handful of useful productivity enhancements to the macOS, although some of the most worthwhile ones related to video conferencing and screen sharing are limited to the latest Macs. Nevertheless, it is quite possible that those with supported Intel-based systems still will find a tweak or two to make life a little easier or more fun.
As always, EveryMac.com recommends that for those with "mission critical" computers, it is wise to skip any public beta entirely and wait for at least two or three "bug fix" releases after the "final" version before upgrading to any new operating system.
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