macOS 10.12 Sierra

Sierra 10.12 was previewed on June 13, 2016 under the macOS name and became available free from the Mac App Store on September 20. Siri reached the Mac to find files, look up information and adjust preferences; results could be dragged into documents or pinned in Today view. It required a microphone and broadband Internet.

Family

macOS

Version

10.12

Minimum RAM

2 GB

Historical US price

US$0

Apple · Sierra · 2016-06-13 · Apple · Sierra · 2016-09-20 · Apple · Sierra · Technical specifications

Universal Clipboard let users copy content between supported Apple devices. iCloud Desktop and Documents extended access to those files across devices. Auto Unlock used an authenticated Apple Watch to access the Mac; its compatibility was narrower than the system's, requiring Macs from Mid 2013, watchOS 3 and iPhone 5 or later according to Apple's specifications. Copied content could include text, images, photos and video. Universal Clipboard’s list included MacBook from Early 2015, MacBook Pro, Air, mini and iMac from 2012, and Late 2013 Mac Pro, not every Sierra-capable Mac. Desktop and Documents access was also described through iCloud.com and iCloud for Windows.

Apple · Sierra · 2016-06-13 · Apple · Sierra · 2016-09-20 · Apple · Sierra · Technical specifications

Photos added Memories and recognition of people, objects and scenes. Tabs extended to apps supporting multiple windows, while Picture in Picture floated video over the desktop. Apple Pay in Safari needed supported hardware and authorizing devices: arriving on the Mac did not mean every Mac could use it independently. Tabs could compare Maps locations or switch between Mail drafts and Pages documents. Floating Safari or iTunes video could be resized and pinned to a corner. Optimized Storage moved infrequently used items to the cloud and helped find files or apps no longer needed; this is not described as physically enlarging the disk or replacing a backup.

Apple · Sierra · 2016-06-13 · Apple · Sierra · 2016-09-20 · Apple · Sierra · Technical specifications

General requirements were OS X 10.7.5 or later, 2 GB of memory and 8.8 GB free. The specific Apple list distinguishes MacBook and iMac from Late 2009 from MacBook Pro and Mac mini from Mid 2010, among others. The archive dates 10.12.1 to October 24, 2016 and 10.12.6 to July 19, 2017. These are selected milestones without builds.

Apple · Sierra · Technical specifications · Apple · Security archive · 2016-2017