Everyday use
Mac Stuck on Big Sur: Which Models, and What It Means for Your Apps
In short: for a number of 2013–2015 Macs, Big Sur is the last macOS Apple released. If an app needs macOS 12 or newer, it will not install on such a Mac, and that is not a fault. The list below comes from Apple’s compatibility lists for Big Sur and Monterey: the models that are in the first list and not in the second.
Which Macs stopped at Big Sur
| Line | Models |
|---|---|
| MacBook Pro | Retina, 13-inch and 15-inch, Late 2013 and Mid 2014 |
| MacBook Air | 11-inch and 13-inch, Mid 2013 and Early 2014 |
| MacBook | Retina, 12-inch, Early 2015 |
| iMac | 21.5-inch, Mid 2014; Retina 5K, 27-inch, Late 2014 and Mid 2015 |
If your model is not in the table, it is either newer (Apple released Monterey and later for it) or older (it stopped at Catalina or earlier). To find your model: Apple menu → “About This Mac”.
What this means for apps
Every app has a minimum macOS version. New app versions more and more often need macOS 12 or newer. On Big Sur the system says the app needs a newer macOS and refuses to open it. That is normal behavior, not a damaged file: downloading again will not help.
What to do
- 1Open “About This Mac” and make sure you have Intel and macOS 11 (details: which file to download).
- 2If Software Update offers nothing newer, your Mac most likely stopped at Big Sur: Apple shows only compatible updates there. The latest Big Sur is 11.7.11, install it through Software Update.
- 3For ProxysVPN take the “Mac on macOS 11 Big Sur?” line on the download page. Step by step: VPN for an old Mac on Big Sur.
- 4If the app still does not open, go through the five checks.
What we do not recommend
Do not install systems Apple never released for such a Mac, or unofficial installers: a system without the maker’s support can run unstably, and losing data in a failed install is easier than it looks. Make a backup and use what Apple supports for your model.
FAQ
Which Macs stopped at macOS 11 Big Sur?
By Apple’s compatibility lists: MacBook Pro Retina Late 2013 and Mid 2014, MacBook Air Mid 2013 and Early 2014, MacBook Retina 12-inch Early 2015, iMac 21.5-inch Mid 2014 and iMac Retina 5K Late 2014 and Mid 2015.
Why will an app not install on Big Sur?
Most likely it needs a newer macOS. That is a limit of the app, not a fault of the Mac.
Is there a ProxysVPN for Big Sur?
Yes, Intel Macs have a separate file on the download page, in the “Mac on macOS 11 Big Sur?” line.
What to do on a Mac that is not in the table?
Open “About This Mac” and read the macOS version: on macOS 12 or newer take the regular or the Intel image, on 10.15 and older write to support.
Did this help?
Nothing follows from the answer; only we see it.
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Who we are. These guides are written and kept current by the team that runs ProxysVPN. The date of the last update is at the top of the article. If a step is wrong or out of date, write to support and we will fix it.