2020 27in Imac future OS upgrades

Technically speaking Tahoe was the last one. It will likely still get security releases for Tahoe for 2 more years or so, but, Apple has said the next version of macOS will not support any Intel Macs.

In any case, you'll know in June when macOS 27 is revealed at WWDC and its compatible devices listed.

D.I. Johnson Wrote:

Also, don't believe that after the support ends that you must immediately replace your Mac. You do not. It will likely remain a viable and usable device long after Apple's support ends. As long as it still does what you need it to do.

This 👆🏻👆🏻👆🏻is completely correct and must be heeded.

The lack of major upgrades to new named versions does not mean the Mac will cease to function at that moment. You probably have 2 to 3 years of full usability before you absolutely need to start thinking of replacing it. so its a good time to start saving up for a new Mac now so you have enough money for it in 2 to 3 years.

Apple has already announced that Tahoe is the last major version of macOS that will run on any Intel-based Mac. So your Mac will not receive macOS 27 when Apple release it this fall.

Although your Mac will not get macOS 27, I believe that it is likely to get XProtect (anti-malware database) updates for several years beyond that. These are pushed out in the background and you would normally not even be aware of them, unless you looked in System Information > Software > Installations or used a third-party application like SilentKnight to see what XProtect updates macOS had automatically installed. There might also be "dot" releases of Tahoe (to fix bugs and patch security holes) for as long as it is one of the "most recent three".

Many vendors such as Microsoft and Adobe have a policy of supporting "the most recent three", and Tahoe will be one of those until macOS 29 comes out in the fall of 2028. It appears that Apple has been in the habit of providing the latest version of Safari to "the most recent three", and I would expect that to continue. (The current version of Firefox will run even on Catalina – that, to say, Firefox currently supports "the most recent seven". No guarantees, but it might be five to seven years before the latest Firefox will no longer run on Tahoe.)

Safari Release Notes | Apple Developer Documentation

For bundled applications distributed through the App Store (like Pages, Numbers, and Keynote), Apple has recently gotten into a habit of supporting only "the most recent two" or even just "the latest version". The takeaway here is to grab anything you want (or might want later) while the version in the App Store is still compatible with your Mac.

MacOS 26 Tahoe is reported by Apple to be the last macOS version that will support any Intel-based Mac such as yours. Do not expect to see any upgrade - macOS 27(?) or later - be made available to you for that hardware.

Apple is expected to continue to support macOS 26 Tahoe with continued point updates, including bug fixes and features refinements and security releases through most of 2028. This three-year support cycle is typical of Apple.

Don't confuse the major OS revision upgrade - from one named version to the next - with the relatively minor update. They are two different things.

Also, don't believe that after the support ends that you must immediately replace your Mac. You do not. It will likely remain a viable and usable device long after Apple's support ends. As long as it still does what you need it to do.

Hi,

You could hear macOS updates schedule and supported Mac at 2026 WWDC on this June.

None. macOS 26 is the end of the line for intel based Macs.