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Sync iPadOS 14 with Mac running Catalina 10.15.7

I have an iPad that's currently running iPadOS 12.2.

I'd like to update the iPad to iPadOS 14.4.1.


I have a desktop Mac that's running macOS Catalina 10.15.7.

I don't want to have to update the Mac's OS to Big Sur 11.2.3 (at least not today).


If I update my iPad to iPadOS 14.4.1, will I still be able to sync it with my desktop Mac that's running 10.15.7 (without being forced to update the OS on my Mac)?


I know back in the day when we used iTunes to sync iOS devices, there was a "window of compatibility" between versions of iTunes (which had their own compatibility requirements for versions of the macOS). All three had to be (roughly) aligned, or else things needed updates.


In the past, I've found myself in a forced upgrade loop, where updates to iOS, iTunes and macOS all had to be aligned, or it triggered a very messy (and at the time, very unwanted) runaround. I've been forced to do a major OS update on an older Mac (which was a productivity disaster as I was running legacy apps that would not work with a newer OS) just to be able to continue syncing an iOS device.


This time, I'd like to update this iPad to iPadOS 14. The iPad will support that version of the OS.

But I still want to be able to sync with the desktop Mac running Catalina. I don't want Big Sur on this machine.


I have searched high and low, and have been unable to find any documents that clearly articulate if iPadOS 14 can sync with a Mac running Catalina.


Can anyone shed light on this compatibility question? Thank you.

iMac Line (2012 and Later)

Posted on Mar 14, 2021 9:28 PM

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Posted on Mar 15, 2021 1:31 AM

I sync both my ipad and iphone which run 14 with a mac mini with catalina, haven't synced them since the 14.4.1 update though

my mac mini does not support big sur so I expect the ios devices to work with it until they stop support for it.

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Sync iPadOS 14 with Mac running Catalina 10.15.7

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