Here's When You Can Download macOS Big Sur [Update: You Can Download it Now]

Update: It's Out Now

Apple has officially announced that macOS Big Sur is now available, although it is still rolling out so it may take a few minutes to show up on your Macs.



Apple's official public release of macOS Big Sur is finally set to drop on Thursday, November 12, just two days after the company released the second release candidate to developers following its "One More Thing" event.

First Look Big Sur Feature2
Developers are busy putting the finishing touches on their apps to take advantage of new features in macOS Big Sur, support the new Macs with Apple's own M1 chip coming next week, and complement the refreshed macOS design, and many users will be looking to update their Macs as soon as Big Sur is available.

Although Apple has not shared an exact time for the release of macOS Big Sur, we can make some educated guesses based on Apple's localized sites for various countries and past releases.

While Apple lists the release date as November 12 in much of the world, localized sites for some countries in the Eastern Hemisphere list the launch date as November 13, as the launch time will come after midnight in those countries.

Notably, Apple lists a release date of November 12 on its Indian site, while its Thai site lists a November 13 release date.

Given that those two countries are 90 minutes apart by time zones, that pins things down relatively closely, suggesting a window between 9:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Pacific Time. The most likely release time in that window would be 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time, which is a common release time for Apple. A release at that time would correspond to 11:30 p.m. on November 12 in India and 1:00 a.m. on November 13 in Thailand. This same method also accurately pinpointed when iOS 14 was released.

It's worth noting, however, that major macOS releases over the past several years have typically come closer to 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time, so it's certainly possible it could be a bit later than our prediction of 10:00 a.m.

There are no guarantees Apple will stick to its usual release timing, but given our best of guess of 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time release, here's a breakdown of what that corresponds to in other time zones in the United States and around the world:

  • Honolulu, Hawaii -- 8:00 a.m. HST
  • Anchorage, Alaska -- 9:00 a.m. AKST
  • Cupertino, California -- 10:00 a.m. PST
  • Vancouver, Canada -- 10:00 a.m. PST
  • Phoenix, Arizona -- 11:00 a.m. MST
  • Denver, Colorado -- 11:00 a.m. MST
  • Chicago, Illinois -- 12:00 noon. CST
  • New York, New York -- 1:00 p.m. EST
  • Toronto, Canada -- 1:00 p.m. EST
  • Halifax, Canada -- 2:00 p.m. AST
  • Rio de Janeiro, Brazil -- 3:00 p.m. BRT
  • London, United Kingdom -- 6:00 p.m. GMT
  • Berlin, Germany -- 7:00 p.m. CET
  • Paris, France -- 7:00 p.m. CET
  • Cape Town, South Africa -- 8:00 p.m. SAST
  • Helsinki, Finland -- 8:00 p.m. EET
  • Moscow, Russia -- 9:00 p.m. MSK
  • Istanbul, Turkey -- 9:00 p.m. TRT
  • Dubai, United Arab Emirates -- 10:00 p.m. GST
  • Delhi, India -- 11:30 p.m. IST
  • Jakarta, Indonesia -- 1:00 a.m. WIB next day
  • Shanghai, China -- 2:00 a.m. CST next day
  • Singapore -- 2:00 a.m. SGT next day
  • Perth, Australia -- 2:00 a.m. AWST next day
  • Hong Kong -- 2:00 a.m. HKT next day
  • Seoul, South Korea -- 3:00 a.m. KST next day
  • Tokyo, Japan -- 3:00 a.m. JST next day
  • Brisbane, Australia - 4:00 a.m. AEST next day
  • Adelaide, Australia -- 4:30 a.m. ACDT next day
  • Sydney, Australia -- 5:00 a.m. AEDT next day
  • Auckland, New Zealand -- 7:00 a.m. NZDT next day

macOS Big Sur is compatible with most 2013 and later machines, outlined below:

  • 2015 and later MacBook
  • 2013 and later MacBook Air
  • Late 2013 and later MacBook Pro
  • 2014 and later iMac
  • 2017 and later ‌iMac‌ Pro
  • 2014 and later Mac mini
  • 2013 and later Mac Pro

The operating system update does not support the following Macs that were capable of running macOS Catalina:

  • 2012 and Early 2013 MacBook Pro
  • 2012 ‌MacBook Air‌
  • 2012 and 2013 ‌iMac‌
  • 2012 ‌Mac mini‌

For all of the details on what's new in macOS Big Sur, make sure to check out our roundup which offers a thorough look at the refreshed design, updates to key apps, and other new features.

Related Forum: macOS Big Sur

Top Rated Comments

RobbieTT Avatar
38 months ago

Never understood the fascination (evidenced here) with the very exact time a new OS version is available.

It's just information dude that may be useful to some. Presumably you thought your post added value?
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ohbrilliance Avatar
38 months ago

Never understood the fascination (evidenced here) with the very exact time a new OS version is available.
You’re on Macrumors. Some, perhaps many of us here are interested in such things.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
flexiboy1912 Avatar
38 months ago

I'm looking forward to the next version of the OS. I've beta tested it some, and like what I see. My main concern is, is it ready for a daily machine yet? I've read various feedback of there still being problems, and I've had 1 or 2 main issues I'm concerned about as well. However that was prior to 11.0.1 What are the thoughts here?
The latest RC has fixed the 2 issues I had outstanding , for me personally its been very stable this release and no major issues in day to day working. Been using the beta on my main MacBook fine and working from home on it daily.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Maccraig-pro Avatar
38 months ago

Never understood the fascination (evidenced here) with the very exact time a new OS version is available.

It’s not as if its a limited download first come first served, and often I wait a couple of days or more once the server traffic has calmed down and there’s reassurance the update doesn’t break something significant.
I’ve always been an early adopter, after all some of us have to be the guinea pigs don’t we?

In 17 years of being a Mac user, I’ve actually never had issues with upgrading on the day of release! Only time I’ve had an issue was when I upgraded my wife’s 2012 MBP to 10.15 4 months after its release as she couldn’t be bothered upgrading from 10.13 until I did it for her...
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Gatto37 Avatar
38 months ago
I may wait couple of major update releases to fix unexpceted problems... Better be safe than sorry.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
willybNL Avatar
38 months ago
* Berlin, Germany -- 7:00 p.m. CET
* Paris, France -- 7:00 p.m. CET
* So that’s Amsterdam, The Netherlands 19:00 (CET).
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

Multi Display CarPlay 1

All-New Apple CarPlay Launching Later This Year With These 5 New Features

Friday September 29, 2023 11:29 am PDT by
At WWDC 2022 last year, Apple previewed the next generation of CarPlay, promising deeper integration with vehicle functions like A/C and FM radio, support for multiple displays across the dashboard, personalization options, and more. Apple said the first vehicles with support for the next-generation CarPlay experience would be announced in late 2023, but it has still not shared any additional...
iPhone 15 Pro lineup

Apple to Address iPhone 15 Pro Overheating Issue With iOS 17 Update

Saturday September 30, 2023 9:28 am PDT by
Apple plans to release an iOS 17 update to address a bug that may contribute to the reported iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max overheating issue, according to a statement the company shared today with MacRumors and Forbes reporter David Phelan. Apple also says some recent updates to third-party apps have overloaded the system and contributed to the overheating issue. The report notes that...
iphone se 4 modified flag edges

iPhone SE 4 Details: Action Button, USB-C Port, Face ID, and More

Wednesday September 27, 2023 1:34 pm PDT by
Significant changes are expected to arrive with Apple's fourth-generation iPhone SE, in terms of both design and hardware, MacRumors has learned. The iPhone SE 4, known internally under the codename Ghost, is expected to receive a new design derived almost entirely from the base model iPhone 14. According to our sources, the iPhone SE 4 will use a modified version of the iPhone 14 chassis...
BMW Logo iPhone 15 Pro

Warning: BMW Wireless Charging May Break iPhone 15's Apple Pay Chip

Sunday October 1, 2023 6:14 am PDT by
If you have an iPhone 15 and drive a BMW, it might be best to avoid charging the device with the vehicle's wireless charging pad for now. Over the past week, some BMW owners have complained that their iPhone 15's NFC chip no longer works after charging the device with their vehicle's wireless charging pad, according to comments shared on the MacRumors Forums and X, formerly known as Twitter. ...
iPhone 16 Side Feature

iPhone 16 and 16 Pro: Preliminary Weights and Dimensions

Friday September 29, 2023 12:34 pm PDT by
MacRumors has obtained preliminary information on the weights and dimensions planned for the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max. The information corroborates previous reports suggesting that the iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max will feature larger displays. iPhone 16 and 16 Plus Current information suggests that the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus will maintain the same...
CarPlay SharePlay

CarPlay Not Working for Some iPhone 15 Users, Possibly Because of USB-C Cables

Friday September 29, 2023 2:27 pm PDT by
CarPlay is not working as expected for some iPhone 15 users, an issue that is likely linked to the transition to USB-C. There are multiple complaints from MacRumors readers and Reddit users who are unable to get CarPlay to work with their new devices. Cable type and available port options are a common theme in the CarPlay reports, with many of the functionality problems linked to USB-A to...
iPhone 15 USB C Port Keynote

Some USB-C Power Banks Fail to Work With iPhone 15

Thursday September 28, 2023 2:06 pm PDT by
Apple added a USB-C port to the iPhone 15 lineup this year, allowing it to work with USB-C cables, USB-C power banks, and more. It turns out that some USB-C battery packs are not working properly with Apple's iPhone 15, resulting in charging issues. As highlighted on Reddit and the MacRumors forums, not all existing USB-C power banks can be used with the iPhone 15 models, perhaps due to the...