MacOS Upgrades and Updates

Explanation of the difference between Updating to the new macOS (Sequoia) vs. running Updates for the current macOS (Sonoma).

In the interests of keeping compliant with the most current updates, you may encounter confusion between Updating to the new macOS (Tahoe) vs. running Updates for the current macOS (Sequoia). 

Apple will often show both options (if available) in the Update window, making the major upgrade to the new version of macOS more prominent.

You may only need to run the Updates for the current OS (Sequoia) you are using, to stay compliant. 

Be mindful of which choice you are clicking, when attempting to update.

Update Sonoma

Updating the current macOS (Sequoia) should not require administrator level credentials to run, and can be done using the computer login credentials.

Updating to the new macOS (Tahoe) does require administrator level credentials to run.

To update your SMPH computer to the new macOS (Tahoe) you will need to contact SMPH Shared Services IT (support@med.wisc.edu) for assistance.

NOTE: We do not recommend going to the newest version of macOS until it has had it's second major patch release.  (Ex. Tahoe 26.2 or greater).

To check for update availability:

Click on the Apple in the corner of your screen, choose System Settings. Click General in the sidebar of the window that opens, then click Software Update on the right.

Also see:

macOS 27 Golden Gate Preview https://www.apple.com/os/macos/

macOS Tahoe 26 is compatible with these computers https://support.apple.com/en-us/122867

macOS Sequoia is compatible with these computers https://support.apple.com/en-us/120282

macOS Sonoma is compatible with these computers https://support.apple.com/en-us/105113


Keywords:
nudge Mac OS operating system update upgrade macos apple macbook imac 
Doc ID:
135973
Owned by:
Adrian G. in SMPH
Created:
2024-03-11
Updated:
2026-06-15
Sites:
School of Medicine and Public Health