Updating to Big Sur on MacBook Air mid-2012

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Level 1

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Updating to Big Sur on MacBook Air mid-2012

Hello.

I checked which MacBook systems are officially supported for Big Sur and saw my MacBook Air from mid-2012 should not be able to run it.

However, I noticed something strange and wanted to ask about it.

When I check for updates through the software update menu, my Mac says it's up to date (see below).

When I go to the App Store and search for Big Sur, first I can choose to "view" it, then when inside the Big Sur page the "view" changes to "get", implying that I can get it (see below).

When I then scroll down within the app page, it even says "Works on this MacBook Air" (see below).

This makes me doubt if I can get it or not. I would think the App Store wouldn't say it's compatible if it isn't.

However at the same time through the software update menu it tells me my system is up to date.

I was wondering if this has to do with my system specifications as I upgraded my MacBook Air to 8GB RAM when I bought it in 2012. See the full specifications below.

Can I install Big Sur or not?

MacBook Air 13″, macOS 10.15

Posted on Nov 15, 2020 4:21 AM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

dialabrain

Level 10

136,355 points

Nov 15, 2020 4:26 AM in response to diverqent

Distracktion wrote:

Can I install Big Sur or not?

No you can't. The App Store is causing some confusion at the moment. It seems to be saying "Works on this…" if you are running a version of macOS late enough to run the installer, rather than having a compatible Mac. Hopefully Apple will fix the App Store.

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Answer 2

dialabrain

Level 10

136,355 points

Nov 22, 2020 8:36 AM in response to Fisheggs1944

"The devil is in the details" as they say. The exact technical reasons are not explained by Apple as far as I've seen. None the less, a mid-2012 MBA does not support Big Sur.

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Answer 3

Lanny

Level 6

13,225 points

Nov 22, 2020 9:06 AM in response to diverqent

The answer has always been, "no."

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Answer 4

Nov 22, 2020 8:32 AM in response to dialabrain

I had the same question with my wife’s mid-2012 Macbook Air and was equally confused. When I compare the specs for her mid-2012 model with the 2013 model, which can update to Big Sur, I see no difference. In fact, when I look at the generic specs for the mid-2012 model, it says they have an i5 dual core processor. However, my wife’s mid-2012 computer has on i7 dual core processor just like the generic 2013 model. Could that be the difference? Since the specs on her mid-2012 computer are exactly the same as those on the 2013 model, it appears the cutoff point on which models can run Big Sur is rather arbitrary. Can you explain the difference given that the specs are the same? This raises an additional question. How long will OS Catalina be supported?

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