macOS Sierra

macOS Sierra was the thirteenth major release of Apple Inc.'s desktop operating system for Macintosh computers. It succeeded OS X El Capitan and was officially unveiled at the company's WWDC 2016 keynote. The update introduced several significant new features focused on continuity, cloud integration, and voice assistance, marking a shift in naming convention from "OS X" back to "macOS".

Overview

Announced in June 2016 at the Moscone Center, macOS Sierra continued Apple Inc.'s strategy of aligning its operating systems across devices. The release emphasized deeper integration with iCloud and other Apple services, building upon foundations laid in iOS 9 and OS X Yosemite. It was the first version to adopt the "macOS" branding, a change announced alongside updates to watchOS and tvOS, creating a unified naming structure across Apple's platforms. Development was led by Craig Federighi, Apple's senior vice president of Software Engineering, and the final version was made available to the public in September 2016.

Features

A headline addition was Siri for the Mac, bringing the intelligent assistant from iPhone and iPad to the desktop with integration into Finder and Spotlight. The Universal Clipboard feature allowed seamless copying and pasting of text, images, and video between a Mac and nearby iOS devices signed into the same iCloud account. Apple Pay was introduced to the web via Safari, allowing authenticated payments using an iPhone or Apple Watch. iCloud Drive was significantly enhanced with Desktop and Documents Folders syncing, automatically storing user files in the cloud. Other notable features included Picture-in-Picture video support, an optimized storage management system, and updates to core apps like Photos, Messages, and Notes.

System requirements

macOS Sierra required a Mac with at least 2 GB of memory and 8.8 GB of available storage space. Supported models included the MacBook from late 2009 onward, the MacBook Pro from mid-2010 onward, the MacBook Air from late 2010 onward, the Mac mini from mid-2010 onward, the iMac from late 2009 onward, and the Mac Pro from mid-2010 onward. This requirement list dropped support for some older machines that could run OS X El Capitan, necessitating specific GPU capabilities for features like Metal (API). The operating system was distributed exclusively through the Mac App Store, a digital marketplace introduced in OS X Snow Leopard.

Release history

Following its announcement at WWDC 2016, the first developer beta was released to members of the Apple Developer Program. Public betas followed in July through the Apple Beta Software Program. The gold master version was released to developers on September 7, 2016, with the official public release on September 20, 2016. Subsequent updates addressed security, stability, and compatibility; version 10.12.1 added a new "Photos" feature for the Touch Bar on the then-new MacBook Pro, while 10.12.2 improved graphics stability. The final update, version 10.12.6, was released on July 19, 2017, and included security improvements and bug fixes. Support ended with the release of its successor, macOS High Sierra.

Reception

Critical response was generally positive, with reviewers from The Verge, Ars Technica, and TechCrunch praising features like Universal Clipboard and Siri integration for enhancing workflow continuity. However, some critics noted that Siri on the Mac felt less capable than its iOS counterpart. The shift to iCloud Drive for desktop storage was seen as a bold move toward a cloud-centric future, though it raised questions about user privacy and data management. The update was widely adopted, with analytics from Net Applications showing strong uptake among the Mac user base. It was succeeded in 2017 by macOS High Sierra, which focused on foundational technologies like the Apple File System.

Category:macOS versions Category:2016 software