The update was unveiled in June but has now been released to the public, slightly later than might usually be expected.
It comes alongside Apple’s new MacBooks and Mac Mini, which include the M1 chip, the first that Apple has designed in-house and which promises vastly improved performance.
Big Sur brings a total redesign to the look of the operating system, bringing it more in line with the design of the iPhone and iPad. It also brings updates to many of the built-in apps, from Messages to Maps.
As with all updates to macOS, the new software can be downloaded through the Mac App Store, where it will appear as any other app. Users download the installer and the computer will then guide them through its own update.
As ever, users are advised to back up their systems and important files before the update, in case they ran into issues while it was attempting to install.
Some who attempted to download the update as soon as it came out reported issues with having it download. Those problems seemed to be a consequence of the large number of people trying to get hold of it at once, and passed soon after the initial release was over.
A more unusual issue occurred when some of those who had installed the operating system had trouble opening their apps as usual, and found that they hung without fully opening. The issue appeared to be a problem with apps attempting to check in with Apple’s servers as they opened – they would work if the internet was switched off – but that now appears to have been solved.
