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macOS Tahoe 26 Incompatible With Older Intel MacBooks and iMacs

By / Tech / June 14, 2025

If you’re wondering whether your Mac will support the macOS Tahoe 26 update, check out the compatibility details here.

macOS Tahoe 26 Incompatible With Older Intel MacBooks and iMacs
macOS Tahoe 26 main desktop screen (Image via Apple)

Apple released macOS Tahoe 26 recently during the WWDC 2025 event. Here, they changed their naming scheme completely, moving up to macOS 26. Many new features were announced as part of macOS Tahoe 26.

The most notable change with Apple’s new macOS Tahoe 26 is the brand-new Liquid Glass design, which is a complete overhaul of how the operating system looks and functions. Everything now has a uniquely beautiful transparent look, and according to Apple, this Liquid Glass design is not possible on other platforms.

macOS Tahoe 26 lets users personalise the desktop and Dock with layered Liquid Glass icons and widgets.
macOS Tahoe 26 lets users personalise the desktop and Dock with layered Liquid Glass icons and widgets. (Image via Apple)

Of course, the tight integration of hardware and software makes Liquid Glass possible. macOS Tahoe 26 also includes improved continuity with other Apple devices. Plus, Apple Intelligence has been made much better in this new update. With all these new features, the latest operating system can be tough to run on certain models. Let’s check out macOS Tahoe 26 compatibility with older Macs.

macOS Tahoe 26: Which Macs Support Apple’s Latest Operating System

Not every Mac supports the latest macOS Tahoe 26 (Image via Apple)
Not every Mac supports the latest macOS Tahoe 26 (Image via Apple)

macOS Tahoe 26 will be available to install later this year, most likely around September 2025. This public release will be a stable version. Although a beta version of macOS 26 is available now to test via Apple’s developer program, if you wish to experiment. However, macOS Tahoe 26 is not supported by every Mac computer.

If you own an iMac, MacBook, or Mac Mini with an M1 chip or higher, the latest macOS Tahoe 26 will be available. However, the situation is dicey for older Mac users. To make things easier, below is a list of Mac computers that will support the latest operating system:

  • iMac 2020 or later
  • Mac Mini 2020 or later
  • Mac Pro 2019 or later
  • MacBook Air & MacBook Pro (M1 or later)
  • MacBook Pro 16-inch (2019, Intel processor)
  • MacBook Pro 13-inch (2020, Intel processor with 4X Thunderbolt 3 ports)

By the way, you can check your Mac model by clicking on the Apple icon at the top left and navigating to “About This Mac.” Here, you will find the primary identifiers you can cross-check with our list above, which mentions all the various models compatible with Apple’s latest macOS Tahoe 26. Apple has stated that this is the last year of updates for Intel Macs, so it is a good idea to consider upgrading your Mac after this year, as the new macOS launching in 2026 won’t be supported on millions of older Mac systems.

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