macOS Big Sur

macOS Big Sur (version 11.0)[3] is the next major release of macOS, Apple Inc.'s operating system for Macintosh computers. It is the successor to macOS Catalina (version 10.15) and was announced at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference on June 22, 2020, with official public release scheduled for later in 2020.[4][3] It is named after the coastal region of Big Sur in the Central Coast of California.

macOS 11.0 Big Sur
A version of the macOS operating system
macOS Big Sur's desktop in "light mode".
DeveloperApple Inc.
OS family
Source modelClosed, with open source components
General
availability		Late 2020
Latest preview11.0 Public beta 1[1] (20A5343j) (August 6, 2020 (2020-08-06)) [±]
Update methodSoftware Update
Platformsx86-64, ARM64[2]
Kernel typeHybrid (XNU)
LicenseAPSL and Apple EULA
Preceded bymacOS 10.15 Catalina
Official websiteapple.com/macos/big-sur-preview
Support status
Beta
Part of a series on
macOS

macOS Big Sur features a major user interface redesign, and is designed to take advantage of Apple-designed ARM processors in future Macs. On those ARM-based Macs, it will support running iOS and iPadOS apps.

In a symbolic gesture accompanying Apple's transition of the Mac lineup to their own in-house Apple-designed processors,[5] the operating system's major version number has been incremented from 10 to 11 for the first time since the release of the Mac OS X Public Beta in 2000, making the new release version number 11.0 rather than 10.16.[6]

Development history

Providing some indication as to how the pre-release operating system was viewed internally at Apple during its development cycle, documentation accompanying the initial beta release of macOS Big Sur referred to its version as "10.16", and when upgrading to the beta release from prior versions of macOS using the Software Update mechanism, the version referred to was "10.16," with the exception of the Developer Transition Kit, which has always reported the system version as "11.0." [7] As of macOS Big Sur Beta 3, the system version is reported as "11.0" on all Macs running the beta.

System requirements

Unlike macOS Catalina, which supported every standard configuration Mac that Mojave supported, Big Sur drops support for various Macs released in 2012 and 2013. Big Sur runs on the following Macs:[8]

Changes

Design

macOS Big Sur introduces a refresh of the design of the user interface, described by Apple as the biggest change since the introduction of Mac OS X.[4] The operating system introduces refinements to the interface such as translucency and a new color palette. All standard apps, as well as the Dock and the Menu Bar, are redesigned and streamlined. The application icons are also redesigned to look more similar to those on iOS and iPadOS.[9] Compared to iOS, Big Sur's icons include more shading and highlights to give a three-dimensional appearance. Its aesthetic has been described as "neumorphism", a portmanteau of new and skeuomorphism.[10][11] System sounds are redone as well.

The new OS also brings further integration with Apple's SF Symbols, enabling easier use by third-party developers as UI elements for their applications through UIKit, which makes it possible to unify third party applications with the existing Apple-made design language.[12]

Interface

Control Center

An interface with quick toggles for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, screen brightness and system volume has been added to the menu bar.[9] This interface is functionally and visually similar to Control Center on iOS and iPadOS.

Notification Center

The Notification Center is redesigned, featuring interactive notifications and a transparent user interface. Notification Center also features a new widget system similar to that in iOS 14, displaying more information with more customization than previously available.[4]

System

Support for Apple-designed processors

macOS Big Sur marks the beginning of the transition of Apple’s Macintosh line of personal computers from Intel x86-64-based processors to Apple's ARM64-based processors, referred to as "Apple silicon".[13] The chip mentioned in demo videos, and used in the Developer Transition Kit, is the A12Z Bionic, which is the same chip used in the 2020 iPad Pro. This is the first release of macOS to support ARM-based Macs, although Apple stated that it would support Intel Macs "for years to come."[13][14] Most software that has not completed the transition to Apple silicon can use Rosetta 2, an update of a compatibility mechanism first utilized during the PowerPC to Intel x86 transition.

Support for iOS and iPadOS applications

On Macs based on Apple silicon, macOS Big Sur will run iOS and iPadOS applications natively and without any modifications needed from developers.[13]

Signed system volume

The system volume is cryptographically signed to prevent tampering.[15] This includes adding a SHA-256 hash for every file on the system volume.[16]

Software updates

Software updates can begin in the background before a restart, thus requiring less downtime to complete. Because system files are cryptographically signed, the update software can rely on them being in precise locations, thus permitting them to be effectively updated in place.[17]

Spotlight

Spotlight, the file system indexing and search mechanism first introduced in Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger, is more optimized for speed, and the interface has been refined. Additionally, Spotlight is now the default search mechanism in several applications including Safari, Pages, and Keynote.[18][17]

Time Machine

Time Machine, the operating system's backup mechanism first introduced in Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard, can now backup to APFS-formatted drives (in prior versions of macOS, Time Machine could only backup to HFS+-formatted drives).[19][20] Apple's macOS 11 beta release notes document that "APFS-formatted backup volumes are now supported for faster, more compact, and more reliable backups. New local and network Time Machine backup destinations are formatted as APFS by default. Time Machine will continue backing up to existing HFS backup volumes."[21]

Encryption

macOS Big Sur supports encryption at the file level (this more granular capability contrasts with the prior version of macOS, which supported encryption only at the level of entire volumes).[20] As of June, 2020, this capability is known to be compatible with Macs based on Apple silicon; it is unclear whether it is compatible with Intel-based Macs.[20]

Other changes
  • Bilingual dictionaries in French-German, Indonesian-English, Japanese-Simplified Chinese, and Polish-English
  • Better predictive input for Chinese and Japanese users
  • New fonts for Indian users
  • Podcasts "Listen Now" feature
  • FaceTime sign language prominence
  • macOS startup sound is enabled by default (it had been disabled by default in recent releases of macOS), and a graphical interface has been implemented to manually enable/disable this functionality, per user preference

Application features
The Safari 14 start page with Wikipedia on the reading list.

Safari

Safari in Big Sur now features a new customizable start page and an improved tab design. In addition, enhancements in Safari 14 include:

  • Built-in web page translation in English, Spanish, German, French, Russian, Chinese, and Portuguese. The feature is currently in beta.
  • Enhanced privacy features such as "Privacy Report"
  • Password monitoring; Safari will notify the user if their password has been compromised
  • Enhanced performance and power efficiency
  • Extension privacy management
  • WebExtensions API support
  • Page previews
  • Importing of passwords from Chrome
  • Support for Adobe Flash Player has been removed

Messages

The Messages app was rewritten to be based upon Apple's Catalyst technology. This enables the app to have feature parity with its iOS counterpart. Alongside a refined design, the messages app brings:

  • Conversation pinning for up to nine conversations that sync across iOS, iPadOS, and macOS.
  • Message searching
  • Name and photo sharing
  • Group chat photo logos
  • Mentioning individuals
  • Replying inline
  • Memoji stickers and editor
  • A new photo picker
  • Localized message effects for users in India
The Mac App Store showing the Safari Extensions category.

App Store

Refinements and new features of the Mac App Store include:

  • A section dedicated to the privacy information of an app
  • A new Safari extensions category
  • Third party Notification Center widgets
  • Family sharing of app subscriptions

Notes
  • Collapsible pinned section
  • Quick text style and formatting options
  • Scanning enhancements

Photos
  • New editing capabilities
  • Improved Retouch tool
  • New zooming feature in views

Maps
  • "Look Around" interactive street-level 360° panoramas, first implemented in the iOS 13 version of Maps, have been incorporated into the macOS version of Maps.
  • Availability of directions for cyclists.
  • Electric vehicle routing, based on proximity to charging stations and monitoring of battery levels (on selected car models).

Release history
Previous release Current release Beta
Version Build Date Darwin Release Notes
11.0 beta 1 20A4299v June 22, 2020 20.0.0 macOS Big Sur 11 Beta 1 Release Notes
11.0 beta 2 20A4300b July 7, 2020 20.0.0 macOS Big Sur 11 Beta 2 Release Notes
11.0 beta 3 20A5323l July 22, 2020 20.0.0 macOS Big Sur 11 Beta 3 Release Notes
11.0 beta 4 20A5343i August 4, 2020 20.0.0 macOS Big Sur 11 Beta 4 Release Notes
11.0 public beta 1 20A5343j August 6, 2020 20.0.0

References
  1. Juli Clover (August 6, 2020). "Apple Seeds First Public Beta of macOS Big Sur to Public Beta Testers". MacRumors. Retrieved August 6, 2020.
  2. Etherington, Darrell (June 22, 2020). "Apple is releasing a Mac mini with an Apple processor for developers starting this week". TechCrunch. Retrieved July 20, 2020.
  3. Heater, Brian. "Apple unveils macOS 11.0 Big Sur". TechCrunch. Archived from the original on June 22, 2020. Retrieved June 22, 2020.
  4. "Apple introduces macOS Big Sur with a beautiful new design" (Press release). Apple Inc. June 22, 2020. Archived from the original on June 22, 2020. Retrieved June 22, 2020.
  5. Gruber, John (June 24, 2020). "The Talk Show Remote from WWDC 2020, With Craig Federighi and Greg Joswiak". Daring Fireball. Retrieved June 25, 2020.
  6. Rossignol, Joe (June 22, 2020). "macOS Big Sur Listed as 'Version 11.0' in System Preferences". MacRumors. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
  7. Gallagher, William (June 22, 2020). "Apple turns macOS up to 11 - or to 10.16". AppleInsider.
  8. "macOS Big Sur Preview". Archived from the original on June 22, 2020. Retrieved June 22, 2020.
  9. Chin, Monica (June 22, 2020). "Apple announces macOS Big Sur with a brand-new design". The Verge. Archived from the original on June 22, 2020. Retrieved June 22, 2020.
  10. Koloskus, Jack. "Apple, Big Sur, and the rise of Neumorphism". Input. Retrieved June 27, 2020.
  11. Moorhead, Patrick. "How Apple's WWDC Is A Different Take On Familiarity". Forbes. Retrieved June 27, 2020.
  12. Apple Inc. (June 22, 2020). "SF Symbols 2". apple.com. Apple Inc. Archived from the original on June 22, 2020. Retrieved June 22, 2020.
  13. "Apple announces Mac transition to Apple silicon" (Press release). Apple Inc. June 22, 2020. Archived from the original on June 22, 2020. Retrieved June 22, 2020.
  14. Blumenthal, Eli. "Apple still plans to support Intel-based Macs for years to come". Cnet. Retrieved June 22, 2020.
  15. "macOS Big Sur Preview - Features". Apple. Archived from the original on June 22, 2020. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
  16. "Big Sur's Signed System Volume: added security protection". Big Sur’s Signed System Volume: added security protection. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
  17. Glenn Fleishman (June 22, 2020). "Big Sur Makes Changes to Many Apple Apps and Basic Features". TidBITS.
  18. "New features coming with macOS Big Sur". Apple Inc. Retrieved June 25, 2020.
  19. Owen, Malcom (June 27, 2020). "APFS changes affect Time Machine in macOS Big Sur, encrypted drives in iOS 14". Apple Insider. Retrieved August 6, 2020.
  20. Oakley, Howard (June 20, 2020). "APFS changes in Big Sur: how Time Machine backs up to APFS, and more". The Eclectic Light Company. Retrieved August 6, 2020.
  21. "macOS Big Sur 11 Beta 4 Release Notes". Apple. Retrieved August 6, 2020.
Preceded by
macOS 10.15 (Catalina)		 macOS 11 (Big Sur)
2020		 Incumbent
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