Apple's MacBooks are some of the most popular and best laptops on the market. There's a good reason why they're so popular, and even more so nowadays with Apple Silicon delivering excellent performance and power efficiency. But a good laptop is more than what you get at launch; it's also about how long it lasts and how long you can rely on it. So you may be wondering how long your MacBook model is supported and how long it's going to last you.

The good news is, it will probably last you pretty long. Apple has an excellent track record when it comes to supporting their devices, whether it's phones or laptops. iPhones get software support for longer than just about anything in the Android world, and laptops are pretty much on par with modern Windows devices.

Can my MacBook get the latest version of macOS?

A list showing the devices supported by macOS Sonoma

Apple tends to support its devices for quite a few years once they've been launched, though it can fluctuate a bit. The latest version is macOS Sonoma, which was released in September 2023. This model supports Mac models all the way back to the 2017 iMac Pro, and for MacBooks, it supports the 2018 models and newer. That means you're looking at a support period of around five years to get the latest and greatest features

That's especially impressive considering Apple has gone through a full silicon transition, moving away from Intel processors to Apple Silicon, yet those models are still supported just as well as before. Apple hasn't skipped a beat, and every new big OS update that comes out supports MacBooks that are up to five years old, so you keeop getting new features over time. The 2022 release, macOS Ventura, supported MacBooks from 2017, and so on and so forth.

What about security?

The side profile of a Moft carry sleeve with a laptop atop it.

Even if your MacBook is no longer getting major updates, you can technically still use it, and apps usually continue to support older versions of macOS for a while longer. Older versions of macOS also continue to get security updates for a while after subsequent versions are released. For example, macOS Big Sur, released in 2020, received its latest security update in September 2023, almost three years after it released. And Big Sur supported MacBook models all the way back to 2013, so if you have one of those laptops, you were technically supported for nearly ten years.

All of this is to say that if you're thinking about buying a new MacBook and you want to make sure you're not throwing away your money, you can rest easy. The laptop you buy today will be supported for a long time to come, and you'll keep getting new features for at least a few years. There's a good chance you'll be buying a new laptop before the current models become unsupported.

Obsolete and vintage models

macos 12 monterey on macbook air m1

One last thing to consider when talking about MacBook support is the ability to repair or replace it. Apple has an official list of vintage and obsolete products in its lineup, and those obsolete products are officially unable to be repaired, which might mean you'll need to buy a new one. Apple products are considered obsolete seven years after the last date they were sold officially, and after that, you can no longer send it to Apple for repair, and authorized repair shop can no longer buy parts to repair it, either.

While the list of obsolete Mac products is long at this point (Apple has been around for a long time), but the latest models on the list are the 2014 MacBook Air and MacBook Pro. That means some models are being supported beyond the 7-year promise, too. Either way, this is a great support period for a laptop, and truth be told, if your device is this old, you're almost certainly due for an upgrade.

When do I need to upgrade my MacBook?

Considering the long support period offered by Apple for most MacBook models, you shouldn't need to upgrade your MacBook for many years after you've bought it. A new MacBook will be supported for almost 10 years before it no longer gets software updates. And unless it breaks down, there's no reason to stop using it just because it's older.

You should only really need to upgrade your MacBook if it can no longer run the things you need it to do, especially if it's not an upgradable model (most MacBooks aren't), or if it's broken and you can no longer have it repaired. If you're no longer getting software updates, we'd also recommend buying a new model, though you don't have to.


If this article reassured you it's a good idea to buy a MacBook, you can check out the latest models below. Whether it's the newly-redesigned MacBook Air, the 13-inch MacBook Pro, or the extra powerful 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models that are made for creators, Apple has some fantastic options available right now, and they're all going to get support for a long time to come. These are some of the best Macs Apple has ever made, and they're very easy to recommend.