How to Check the Version of macOS on Your Mac

To check the version of macOS on your Mac, click the Apple logo in the top-left corner of the screen and choose About This Mac. A window opens showing the macOS name, such as Sequoia or Tahoe, next to the exact version number. Two other built-in methods work just as well: System Settings, reached through Apple menu > System Settings > General > About, and Terminal, where typing sw_vers returns the full version and build details. All three pull from the same system data, so they always agree with each other. This guide walks through each method with exact menu paths, explains what the build number means, and shows how to check for pending software updates.

How to Check Your macOS Version from About This Mac

The fastest way to check your macOS version is through the About This Mac window.

Click the Apple logo at the top-left corner of the screen.
Select About This Mac from the dropdown menu.
Clicking directly on the version number inside that window reveals the build number underneath it, which sits hidden until you select it.

Technology support guides, including one published by the University of Iowa for campus computers, describe the exact same sequence of steps, showing this method has stayed consistent across recent macOS releases. Because the window sits inside the Apple menu rather than inside any single app, it opens the same way no matter which program you currently have open. No extra software or account sign-in is required, since the window pulls entirely from information macOS already stores locally.

How to Check macOS Version Using System Settings

System Settings shows your macOS version and build number together on a single screen, without the extra click About This Mac requires. Open the Apple menu, choose System Settings, select General in the sidebar, then click About.

Everything you need appears at once on that About screen: the macOS name, the version number, and the build number, all listed without any additional taps. This method is available on recent versions of macOS, so a Mac from the last several years will show the same layout described here.

Anyone switching between an older Mac and a newer one will notice the layout looks nearly identical to the classic System Preferences window it replaced, just reorganized into a sidebar of categories instead of a single grid of icons. General sits near the top of that sidebar, and About is usually the last item inside General, so the path rarely changes even after a major update.

How to Check Your macOS Version Using Terminal

Terminal is the most direct method for anyone comfortable typing commands. Open Terminal, found in Applications, Utilities, then type sw_vers and press Enter.

That single command prints three lines: ProductName, ProductVersion, and BuildVersion, giving you the same information as the graphical methods but in plain text. One limitation is worth knowing: Terminal shows the numeric version only, so a Mac running the current release displays 27 rather than the marketing name Golden Gate.

Scripts and support tickets tend to favor this output precisely because it skips the marketing name, since a build number or numeric version is easier to match against a compatibility list than a name like Sequoia or Tahoe.

Anyone who manages more than one Mac can run the same command over a remote session, which makes Terminal the only one of the three methods that works without sitting in front of the screen.

How to Read the macOS Version and Build Numbers

What the Version Number Means

macOS version numbers follow a major.minor.patch pattern, with each segment marking a different scale of change. Ventura 13.6.7 breaks down as major version 13, minor update 6, and patch 7, while Monterey 12.7.5 and Sonoma 14.5 follow that same structure with different digits depending on how many patches each release received. A minimum requirement written as macOS 12.6.0, for example, means any patch number at or above that line satisfies the requirement, since only the first two segments usually matter for compatibility checks.

What the Build Number Adds

Build numbers identify the exact compiled version behind a release, which is useful when two Macs show the same version number but behave differently. Apple support staff and app developers sometimes ask for the build number specifically, since it can catch a difference that the version number alone hides. You can find it by clicking the version number in About This Mac, or by reading it directly in System Settings or Terminal, where it appears automatically.

Which macOS Version Number Matches Which Name

Apple pairs every macOS release with both a marketing name and a numeric version, and About This Mac or System Settings will show you the name while Terminal shows only the number. Golden Gate corresponds to macOS 27, Tahoe to macOS 26, and Sequoia to macOS 15, while older but still common releases include Sonoma at macOS 14, Ventura at macOS 13, and Monterey at macOS 12.

Marketing Name	Major Version Number
Golden Gate	27
Tahoe	26
Sequoia	15
Sonoma	14
Ventura	13
Monterey	12

Matching a name to a number matters most when an app’s system requirements page lists only a number, such as macOS 13 or later, while your own Mac only tells you it is running Ventura. Cross-checking against a table like this one avoids guessing whether an older-sounding name actually meets a numeric requirement.

Which Method Should You Use

About This Mac works best for a quick check, System Settings suits anyone who wants the build number without an extra click, and Terminal fits scripts or support tickets that need plain text output. The table below lines up all three methods side by side.

Method	Access Path	Shows Version	Shows Build Number	Ease of Use
About This Mac	Apple menu > About This Mac	Yes	Yes, click the version number	Easiest
System Settings	Apple menu > System Settings > General > About	Yes	Yes, shown automatically	Moderate
Terminal	Applications > Utilities > Terminal, type sw_vers	Yes	Yes	Advanced users

A refurbished Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 2 has occupied my desk in north Columbus, Ohio, since 2022, making me especially unqualified to romanticize Apple menus. For checking the version of macOS, About This Mac is still the sensible quick check, while System Settings earns its point when the build number should appear without an extra click.

Why Your macOS Version Matters

Your macOS version matters because software compatibility, security updates, and available features all depend on it. Many apps only support a limited range of versions, so an outdated system can block an install before it even starts. Security patches ship tied to specific versions too, and skipping them leaves known vulnerabilities unpatched. Certain built-in features, from redesigned settings panels to new system tools, only exist on the macOS versions that introduced them, so checking your version first can save a wasted download.

A worked example shows how the check plays out in practice. Suppose an app’s download page lists macOS 12.6.0 as the minimum requirement, and About This Mac reports that your Mac runs macOS 12.5.1. The major and minor numbers, 12 and 5, sit below the 12 and 6 the app needs, so the install will likely fail or the app will refuse to open even if the download completes.

Updating to any patch of macOS 12.6 or later, or to a newer release such as Ventura or Sonoma, clears that requirement, and rechecking the version afterward through the same About This Mac window confirms the update actually applied before you try installing again.

How to Check for macOS Updates

You can check for available macOS updates from Terminal by typing softwareupdate -l and pressing Enter, which lists every update currently pending for your Mac. Running that command before troubleshooting confirms whether an outdated system, rather than a broken setting, is the actual cause of a problem.

The command lists each pending update by name and version, so you can see at a glance whether a small patch or a full upgrade to the next named release is waiting. Pairing this check with the version and build number from About This Mac or System Settings gives a complete picture: what you are running now, and what is available next.

If About This Mac or System Settings will not open, or the window appears blank, a stuck background process is the usual cause rather than anything wrong with macOS itself. Restarting the Mac clears most of these stalls, since the menu and its window rebuild from scratch on the next login.

For a Mac that will not start normally at all, macOS Recovery Mode and Safe Mode both give access to diagnostic and repair tools separate from the everyday desktop, and either one can get a stuck system back to a state where the normal menus work again.

A Terminal that will not accept the sw_vers command, or returns an unexpected error, usually points to a typo rather than a missing tool, since sw_vers ships as part of macOS itself and is not a separate download. Closing Terminal and reopening it from Applications, Utilities clears most one-off glitches. When the graphical menus and Terminal all fail at once, that combination is a stronger sign of a deeper system problem, and Recovery Mode is the safer next step over repeated restarts.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is the Difference Between the macOS Version and the Build Number?

The version number, like 14.5, identifies the general release and update level of macOS. A separate build number ties to the exact compiled version behind that release, and it matters most when troubleshooting with Apple support or comparing two Macs that show the same version number but behave differently. Support staff will sometimes ask for both at once, since two Macs can share a version number while running slightly different builds after a targeted patch.

Do About This Mac and Terminal Show the Same Version Number?

Yes, all three built-in methods, including About This Mac, System Settings, and Terminal, read from the same underlying system data. Terminal simply displays it as plain text instead of inside a window, so the numbers always match. Choosing between them comes down to convenience rather than accuracy, since none of the three methods can disagree with another on the same Mac.

Why Does Terminal Show a Number Like 27 Instead of a Name Like Sequoia?

Terminal’s sw_vers command prints the numeric ProductVersion only, without the marketing name Apple uses in About This Mac and System Settings. A Mac on the current release shows 27 in Terminal, even though the same system appears as Sequoia or Tahoe in the graphical menus, since those marketing names exist only in the interface layer, not in the version data itself. Matching the number back to a name is a simple lookup once you know the pairing, such as 27 for Golden Gate or 26 for Tahoe.

Which Mac Chip Does About This Mac Show?

About This Mac also lists the chip inside your Mac, labeled as either Apple Silicon or Intel, right alongside the macOS version. That detail matters for software compatibility, since some older apps and utilities only run on one chip type or need a compatibility layer on the other. Knowing the chip in advance also helps when comparing your Mac against a system requirements list that names a chip family rather than a specific model.

Is It Necessary to Check Your macOS Version Before Installing an App?

Checking first is worth the few seconds it takes, since app compatibility varies by macOS version and an install can fail partway through on an unsupported system. Confirming your version before downloading anything also tells you which built-in features and security protections are already active on your Mac. Skipping this step rarely causes damage, but it can waste time on a download that never opens.

Pick About This Mac for everyday checks, use System Settings when you want the build number in the same glance, and save Terminal for the moments a script or support ticket needs plain text output. Knowing both your macOS version and build number puts you in a stronger position for app installs, security updates, and support calls. A minute spent confirming these details before you download anything can save a much longer troubleshooting session afterward.

References

Apple Support, Apple
How can I tell what version of macOS I have? – Information Technology Services, Information Technology Services
How to Check What macOS Version You’re Running, XDA Developers
How to Tell What Version of macOS You Are Running, Information Technology Services, The University of Iowa
Check macOS Latest Version, macOS Install Guide
How to Check macOS Version – Your Complete Guide, SoftwareCW
How to Check Your macOS Version Number, NordLayer Documentation

Sources read in September 2026.