On September 16, 2024, Apple released its newest version of the Macintosh operating system, macOS 15 Sequoia. This release includes a series of upgrades to macOS, including a new Password app, Continuity improvements, and enhancements to Messages and Safari. This initial release of Sequoia (15.0.x) does not include the heavily hyped Apple Intelligence features—many of those will be available in beta form with macOS 15.1 in late October 2024.

At the time of release, Information Systems & Computing (ISC) strongly recommended that all University users adopt a “wait and see” approach and continue using earlier macOS versions for at least a week following the release. This period allows for any initial bugs and compatibility issues in Sequoia to be identified and usually either fixed or avoided.

macOS Sequoia version 15.0.1 is now cleared for general use by University constituents. This clearance supports Penn users with new systems that ship with macOS 15 pre-installed. macOS 14.x Sonoma remains Penn’s supported and recommended macOS version and will likely remain so until the end of FY2025.

ISC recommends that those with niche needs of untested apps or features continue to exercise caution before upgrading their macOS devices to Sequoia. In particular, macOS 15 Sequoia has several incompatibilities that affect the functionality of various software relevant to the University, such as third-party audio applications.

macOS 15 Sequoia is compatible with most Macs made in 2019 or later, with one notable exception: only 2020 and newer MacBook Airs are compatible. Sequoia is not currently pre-installed on new Macintoshes, but that will change shortly.

Apple’s system engineer for Penn, Brett Gross, will present on macOS Sequoia and other topics at the November 7, 2024 MacNet meeting. More information and registration links for this hybrid meeting are here.

Penn’s LinkedIn Learning service offers many technical training courses for University constituents, including macOS Sequoia Essential Training.