How to Check Version of Your MacOS

The macOS 11 is the latest release by the Apple team. Its code name is Big Sur, derived from unmapped wilderness area which lays along the coast south of Monterey. The is the most advanced desktop operating system with the new level of power and beauty.

This tutorial will describe you to how to check macOS version from desktop and command line interface.

Check MacOS Version (GUI)

Login to your macOS system. Click on apple icon at top right corner, then click the “About This Mac” menu. This will display the macOS version along with the system configuration details.

The below screenshot shows that, we’re using macOS Catalina, which is version 10.15. The macOS version showing in screenshot “10.15.7”, which means “10.15” is your macOS version 7 is for the security updates of the same.

The output depends on your running macOS version.

Check macOS Version via Command line

Open the terminal application on your macOS and type the following command to check macOS version.

sw_vers 

Output:

ProductName: 		Mac OS X
ProductVersion:		10.15.7
BuildVersion: 		19H2

You can also fetch the specific values only. Which can be useful for scripting like shell scripts. Use the following command line parameters:

• Use -productName to print the value of the ProductName only

  sw_vers -productName
  
  Mac OS X
  

• Use -productVersion to print the value of ProductVersion. This is the version of your macOS, which is generally required with scripting to check macOS version:

  sw_vers -productVersion
  
  10.15.7
  

• Use -buildVersion to print the value of the BuildVersion property only.

  sw_vers -buildVersion
  
  19H2
  

Conclusion

In this tutorial, you have learned to check macOS version running on your Apple desktop system.