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These MacBook Pros and iMacs could be left behind by macOS 16 – which could be called macOS 26

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Will your Mac make the cut?

Apple's Craig Federighi demonstrates the iPhone Mirroring feature of macOS Sequoia at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2024.
(Image credit: Apple)
  • The new version of macOS will be revealed on June 9 at WWDC
  • Several older Intel-based Macs might be incompatible with it
  • Apple is rumored to be switching to a year-based “macOS 26” name

Apple releases a new version of its Mac operating system every year, and when that happens, there are inevitably older Macs that are no longer supported.

We’re just a week or two away from Apple unveiling its latest iOS and macOS updates at its WWDC 2025 event, and we’ve just found out exactly which Macs might be left behind.

That information comes from AppleInsider, which cites “people familiar with the matter.” These sources have revealed that a slate of Intel-based Macs will be incompatible with the forthcoming software update, meaning they’ll be stuck on older versions of Apple’s operating systems.

Specifically, AppleInsider says the following Macs will be compatible with the next version of macOS:

  • MacBook Pro 2019 or later
  • MacBook Air M1 or later
  • iMac 2020 or later
  • Mac Pro 2019 or later
  • Mac mini M1 or later
  • Mac Studio

That means there are some notable omissions. The 2018 MacBook Pro, 2020 Intel-based MacBook Air, 2017 iMac Pro, and 2018 Mac mini all work with the current version of macOS (macOS Sequoia) but are left off AppleInsider’s list. That suggests that they won’t be able to upgrade beyond macOS Sequoia.

What’s in a name?

macOS 14 Sonoma features

(Image credit: Future / Apple)

Interestingly, Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman has also claimed that Apple is set to switch up its operating system naming conventions. Instead of the previously expected iOS 19 and macOS 16, Apple could name its platforms after the calendar year. So that means we’ll have iOS 26 and macOS 26, Gurman believes.

Alongside the name change, these operating systems are expected to come with sweeping changes to their visual styles and user interfaces, something that AppleInsider’s sources also confirmed. Unfortunately, that means that the aforementioned Macs will miss out on this new look as well.

If you have one of the Macs that are set to miss out on macOS 26, you might want to think about upgrading. Not only will that ensure you get all the latest macOS features, but you’ll likely get hardware improvements and better battery life too.

If you’re thinking about it, our guide to the best Macs and MacBooks should help you decide which one to get.

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Alex Blake
Alex Blake
Freelance Contributor

Alex Blake has been fooling around with computers since the early 1990s, and since that time he's learned a thing or two about tech. No more than two things, though. That's all his brain can hold. As well as TechRadar, Alex writes for iMore, Digital Trends and Creative Bloq, among others. He was previously commissioning editor at MacFormat magazine. That means he mostly covers the world of Apple and its latest products, but also Windows, computer peripherals, mobile apps, and much more beyond. When not writing, you can find him hiking the English countryside and gaming on his PC.

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