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This tip is designed to be a one stop shop to find out what iOS you can use if you are able to install a specific Mac OS X.
Seagate Backup Plus Slim Portable Drive for Mac 1TB: Is it Yosemite compatible. Built-in Windows-to-Mac migration in macOS automatically transfers your documents, music, contacts, calendars, and email accounts (Outlook and Windows Live Mail), and puts them in the appropriate folders and applications on your new Mac. If you buy your Mac at an Apple Store, Personal Setup can help you get off to a great start.
Now updated for iOS 13. Including a method to downgrade to iOS 10.3.3, and a method of downgrading to iOS 11.4.
On September 19, 2019, iOS 13 was released. Present requirements for iOS 13 include Mac OS 10.11.6 for iTunes 12.8 as a bare minimum.
On May 29, 2019, it was found that iOS 12.1.5 could sync with iTunes on Mac OS X 10.10.5 if you kept iTunes 12.5.5.
This thread discusses more of the inconsistent requirements that were initially stated:
https://www.imobie.com/support/how-to-downgrade-from-ios-12-to-ios-11.htm offers a means of downgrading from iOS 12 to iOS 11, if no other means work to link an elderly Mac that can't be updated to 10.11. Be very careful to backup your data properly to avoid problems. Consider a lightning port data transfer device if you need to backup data. And remember no backup is complete, unless you know you have two working copies.
Downgrading Mac OS X is possible in many cases, but your iOS is not at all. Downgrading a Mac is described here:http://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-1948
Apple has this to say about iOS recognition:If your iOS 12 device isn't recognized by iTunes, you might need to upgrade macOS or iTunes - Apple Support
iOS 12 & Yosemite -is a new tip I constructed to cover what can be done for those with Yosemite when downgrading the iOS is no longer possible.
For iOS earlier than 5, see this tip:Which OS do I have and where should I post?So be sure to look this over before upgrading your iOS and backup/sync your iOS with your Mac:
Mac OS X 10.5.8 (Leopard) supports PowerPC Macs, iTunes 10.6.3, iOS 5.1.1.Mac OS X 10.6.8 (Snow Leopard) supports Intel only Macs, but does support PowerPC applications, iTunes 11.4 and iOS 6, and iOS 7.Mac OS X 10.7.3 (Lion) supports iCloud except for iCloud Drive in its current iteration and the new Notes.Mac OS X 10.7.5 (Lion) (link explains the pitfalls of losing PowerPC applications) supports iTunes 12.2.2.25 (available from Software update as of 10/24/2015), iOS 8 and iOS 9.0.Mac OS X 10.8 (Mountain Lion) is required for iTunes 12.3 and iOS 9.2 and iOS 9.2.1(except iCloud Drive, and the new notes). Does not support iOS 10 or iTunes 12.5.1 according to the Wikipedia below.Mac OS X 10.9.5 (Mavericks)one user has said is required for iOS 10 and iTunes 12.5. It is though unable to sync with iOS 11.Mac OS X 10.10 (Yosemite) is required minimum for the new iCloud Drive and iOS 11 (except for Notes, which requires El Capitan). iTunes 12.7.0.166 is needed for iOS 11.iTunes 12.8 is now available for 10.11.6 and later. I have waited for any confirmation of working 10.10.5 systems and it appears the system requirements are in error on the website for linking to iOS 12.
Mac OS X 10.11 (El Capitan) is required for the new Notes on iOS 9, and 10.11.6 for the iPhone XR, XS, and iOS 12 and is compatible with all Mac OS X 10.8 and later compatible Macs. It is available for download only for Macs with 10.6 installed and updated to 10.6.8.
Yosemite Compatibility Apple Cider
Mac OS 10.12 (Sierra) currently has no special requirements as of September 23, 2017, however is a free path to upgrade from Macs that shipped with Lion, that upgraded to 10.7.5 or later, and then updated to Sierra to be able to synchronize with iOS 12.
iOS 12 was released September 17, 2018. Please make sure to backup your data on your iphone, ipad, or ipod touch and not apply any update until you are certain that iTunes on your Mac or PC can handle it.
Some may find running Windows on their Mac Running Windows on a Mac, and Connecting it to Macor creating a separate partition for a newer Mac OS How to format a drive, or disc for maximum portability?allows one to sync to a newer iOS without losing compatibility of older Mac OS versions.
Stuck in Mavericks, Mac OS X 10.9.5? There is a published way to downgrade your iOS.
Note: this is not for the faint at heart, but sure is better than having to upgrade your Mac OS X prematurely for an App you can't afford upgrading on your Mac.
The last iOS supported for various iDevices is listed on the table called 'Terminal update for' on:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IOS_version_history
Yosemite Compatibility Apple Watch Band
And many of the latest iOS versions and iTunes support are on https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_iTunes
Notes: Upgrading to 10.7 and above, don't forget Rosetta! and High Sierra upgrading tipoffer two means of getting your Mac up to speed with iTunes 12.8. Use the first tip if running 10.6.8 or earlier to get to 10.11. And use the other tip if running 10.8 or later.
Moving from your PC to your new Mac? Consider it done.
Yosemite Compatibility Apple Watch
With macOS, you can move all the information from your old PC to your new Mac. Built-in Windows-to-Mac migration in macOS automatically transfers your documents, music, contacts, calendars, and email accounts (Outlook and Windows Live Mail), and puts them in the appropriate folders and applications on your new Mac. Just like that.
If you buy your Mac at an Apple Store, Personal Setup can help you get off to a great start.
Work with anyone.
Every Mac comes with Pages, Numbers, and Keynote — powerful productivity apps from Apple that help you create stunning documents, spreadsheets, and presentations. You can collaborate with one person or many people to create and edit Pages, Keynote, and Numbers files. And everyone can work on the same document at the same time — from across town or across the globe. You can also open, edit, and save Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files with these apps, so you can easily work with others, regardless of whether they’re on a Mac or PC.
Use Microsoft Office for Mac. Connect to Microsoft Exchange Server.
Fun fact: There’s a version of Microsoft Office written just for Mac. So you can use Word, Excel, and PowerPoint on a Mac just like on a PC.
macOS also provides built-in support for the latest version of Microsoft Exchange Server. So you can use all the apps you love on your Mac, and have access to your mail, contacts, and calendar from the office, all at the same time.
Access your files from anywhere with iCloud.
Your Mac comes with iCloud Drive, which lets you safely store all your presentations, spreadsheets, PDFs, images, and any other kinds of files in iCloud. Then you can access them from any device, including your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac, or PC.1
Industry standard‑bearer.
Thanks to its support for industry standards, macOS works with virtually all email providers and websites. It also lets you view the most common file types, including Office documents, PDFs, images, text files, MP3s, videos, ZIP files, and more.
So if you’re moving files from a PC or if your friends and colleagues send you files, you can rest assured they’ll work beautifully on your Mac.
Relax. Your camera, printer, and mouse work, too.
Almost any device that connects to a computer via USB, audio cable, or Bluetooth will work with a Mac. That includes digital cameras, external hard drives, printers, keyboards, speakers, and even your right-click mouse. And with technologies like AirPrint and the array of class drivers included with macOS, you can start using these devices as soon as you plug them in — no need to manually download additional software.
A Mac can even run Windows.
Have a Windows application you need to use once in a while? No problem. Every new Mac lets you install and run Windows at native speeds, using a built-in utility called Boot Camp.
Setup is simple and safe for your Mac files. After you’ve completed the installation, you can boot up your Mac using either macOS or Windows. (That’s why it’s called Boot Camp.) Or if you want to run Windows and Mac applications at the same time — without rebooting — you can install Windows using VMware or Parallels software.2
Connect to PCs over a network.
The Finder not only lets you browse files on your Mac, it also makes it easy to find files on other computers — both Mac and PC — on your home network. Computers that allow file sharing automatically show up in the Shared section of the Finder sidebar, allowing you to browse files and folders you have permission to view.
Works on macOS
Microsoft Office for Mac and Word, Excel, and PowerPoint documents created on a Mac or PC
Windows using Boot Camp or third-party software
Access to Microsoft Exchange Server in Mail, Contacts, and Calendar
Virtually all email services and providers
Popular file types such as PDF, JPG, ZIP, MP3, PSD, and more
Digital cameras, printers, hard drives, mice, and keyboards with USB connections
Wi‑Fi hotspots and Windows networks
Text messaging with Skype, Facebook, WeChat, LINE, and more