Version RecordIndependent release archive
Menu

Release appearance

macOS 10.7 Public

Full article
Public release

Recorded context

About this appearance

Mac OS X Lion 10.7 reached the public channel on July 20, 2011 with a gesture- and full-screen-focused desktop model, Mission Control, Launchpad, document continuity, AirDrop, redesigned Mail, and Mac App Store distribution.

Date
Jul 20, 2011
Availability
available
Revision
No

Release notes

What changed

Original editorial synthesis. Linked references appear with the claims they support and in the source ledger.

Public release

Apple made Lion available on July 20, 2011 as a Mac App Store download. The launch announcement identifies 10.6.6 Snow Leopard as the store-upgrade baseline and lists the supported Intel processor families and 2GB memory requirement.[1]

What this page records

The structured entries synthesize twelve confirmed parts of the public package: gestures, full-screen applications, Mission Control, Mac App Store integration, Launchpad, Mail, Resume, Auto Save, Versions, AirDrop, the download-first distribution model, and the upgrade hardware baseline.[2][3]

Release-channel context

Lion's store download, retail-store assistance, and announced USB option were access methods for the same consumer release, not separate phased rollout events. The public date remains July 20 for this route.[4]

Security and point-release boundary

Apple's retained security index lists Safari and iWork updates on July 20 but no initial Lion 10.7 security entry. It later lists Security Update 2011-005 for systems on 10.7.1 and Lion 10.7.2 on October 12. Because the local catalog has no 10.7.1 or 10.7.2 version route, and the retained 10.7.2 advisory describes later repairs, this event includes no structured initial-security claims.[5][6]

Reporting boundary

Apple's next-day announcement supplies the early adoption figure. The page labels that figure as Apple's report and does not convert it into an independent market-share or performance conclusion.[7]

Source ledger

References

Sources are linked to the claims they support. Publication and access dates are shown when available.

  1. Mac OS X Lion Available Today From the Mac App Store

    Apple Newsroom · Apple · 2011-07-20T00:00:00.000Z · July 20, 2011; Pricing & Availability

    Back to text ↑
  2. Mac OS X Lion With 250 New Features Available in July From Mac App Store

    Apple Newsroom · Apple · 2011-06-06T00:00:00.000Z · Detailed launch-season feature descriptions

    Back to text ↑
  3. Mac OS X Lion Available Today From the Mac App Store

    Apple Newsroom · Apple · 2011-07-20T00:00:00.000Z · Launch feature list and Pricing & Availability

    Back to text ↑
  4. Mac OS X Lion Available Today From the Mac App Store

    Apple Newsroom · Apple · 2011-07-20T00:00:00.000Z · Pricing & Availability

    Back to text ↑
  5. Apple security updates (2011 to 2012)

    Apple Support · Apple · 2023-08-10T00:00:00.000Z · July 20, September 9, and October 12, 2011 entries

    Back to text ↑
  6. About the security content of OS X Lion v10.7.2 and Security Update 2011-006

    Apple Support · Apple · 2026-07-30 · OS X Lion v10.7.2 security content

    Back to text ↑
  7. Lion Downloads Top One Million in First Day

    Apple Newsroom · Apple · 2011-07-21T00:00:00.000Z · July 21 first-day adoption claim

    Back to text ↑
  8. Apple security updates (2011 to 2012)

    Apple Support · Apple · 2023-08-10T00:00:00.000Z · 2011 security chronology

  9. Apple Releases Developer Preview of Mac OS X Lion

    Apple Newsroom · Apple · 2011-02-24T00:00:00.000Z · Additional features; Mail

  10. Mac OS X Lion Available Today From the Mac App Store

    Apple Newsroom · Apple · 2011-07-20T00:00:00.000Z · Additional new features; AirDrop

  11. Mac OS X Lion With 250 New Features Available in July From Mac App Store

    Apple Newsroom · Apple · 2011-06-06T00:00:00.000Z · Additional new features; AirDrop

  12. Mac OS X Lion Available Today From the Mac App Store

    Apple Newsroom · Apple · 2011-07-20T00:00:00.000Z · Additional new features; Auto Save

  13. Mac OS X Lion With 250 New Features Available in July From Mac App Store

    Apple Newsroom · Apple · 2011-06-06T00:00:00.000Z · Additional new features; Auto Save

  14. Mac OS X Lion Available Today From the Mac App Store

    Apple Newsroom · Apple · 2011-07-20T00:00:00.000Z · Additional new features; Resume

  15. Mac OS X Lion With 250 New Features Available in July From Mac App Store

    Apple Newsroom · Apple · 2011-06-06T00:00:00.000Z · Additional new features; Resume

  16. Mac OS X Lion Available Today From the Mac App Store

    Apple Newsroom · Apple · 2011-07-20T00:00:00.000Z · Additional new features; Versions

  17. Mac OS X Lion With 250 New Features Available in July From Mac App Store

    Apple Newsroom · Apple · 2011-06-06T00:00:00.000Z · Additional new features; Versions

  18. Mac OS X Lion With 250 New Features Available in July From Mac App Store

    Apple Newsroom · Apple · 2011-06-06T00:00:00.000Z · Full screen apps paragraph

  19. Mac OS X Lion Available Today From the Mac App Store

    Apple Newsroom · Apple · 2011-07-20T00:00:00.000Z · July 20, 2011

  20. Lion Downloads Top One Million in First Day

    Apple Newsroom · Apple · 2011-07-21T00:00:00.000Z · July 21, 2011

  21. Mac OS X Lion With 250 New Features Available in July From Mac App Store

    Apple Newsroom · Apple · 2011-06-06T00:00:00.000Z · June 6, 2011

  22. Mac OS X Lion Available Today From the Mac App Store

    Apple Newsroom · Apple · 2011-07-20T00:00:00.000Z · Launch feature list; full-screen apps

  23. Mac OS X Lion Available Today From the Mac App Store

    Apple Newsroom · Apple · 2011-07-20T00:00:00.000Z · Launch feature list; Launchpad

  24. Mac OS X Lion Available Today From the Mac App Store

    Apple Newsroom · Apple · 2011-07-20T00:00:00.000Z · Launch feature list; Mac App Store

  25. Mac OS X Lion Available Today From the Mac App Store

    Apple Newsroom · Apple · 2011-07-20T00:00:00.000Z · Launch feature list; Mission Control

  26. Mac OS X Lion Available Today From the Mac App Store

    Apple Newsroom · Apple · 2011-07-20T00:00:00.000Z · Launch feature list; Multi-Touch gestures

  27. Mac OS X Lion Available Today From the Mac App Store

    Apple Newsroom · Apple · 2011-07-20T00:00:00.000Z · Launch feature list; redesigned Mail

  28. Apple Releases Developer Preview of Mac OS X Lion

    Apple Newsroom · Apple · 2011-02-24T00:00:00.000Z · Launchpad paragraph

  29. Mac OS X Lion With 250 New Features Available in July From Mac App Store

    Apple Newsroom · Apple · 2011-06-06T00:00:00.000Z · Launchpad paragraph

  30. Apple Releases Developer Preview of Mac OS X Lion

    Apple Newsroom · Apple · 2011-02-24T00:00:00.000Z · Mac App Store paragraph

  31. Mac OS X Lion With 250 New Features Available in July From Mac App Store

    Apple Newsroom · Apple · 2011-06-06T00:00:00.000Z · Mac App Store paragraph

  32. Mac OS X Lion With 250 New Features Available in July From Mac App Store

    Apple Newsroom · Apple · 2011-06-06T00:00:00.000Z · Mail paragraph

  33. Apple Releases Developer Preview of Mac OS X Lion

    Apple Newsroom · Apple · 2011-02-24T00:00:00.000Z · Mission Control paragraph

  34. Mac OS X Lion With 250 New Features Available in July From Mac App Store

    Apple Newsroom · Apple · 2011-06-06T00:00:00.000Z · Mission Control paragraph

  35. Mac OS X Lion With 250 New Features Available in July From Mac App Store

    Apple Newsroom · Apple · 2011-06-06T00:00:00.000Z · Multi-Touch gestures paragraph

  36. About the security content of OS X Lion v10.7.2 and Security Update 2011-006

    Apple Support · Apple · 2026-07-30 · OS X Lion v10.7.2 later-version boundary

  37. Mac OS X Lion Available Today From the Mac App Store

    Apple Newsroom · Apple · 2011-07-20T00:00:00.000Z · Pricing & Availability; system requirements

Release changes

Changed in this release

Features, fixes, removals, and regressions first observed in this release record.

compatibility · changed

Download-first OS upgrade

documentedconfirmed

The public release made the Mac App Store the main upgrade channel at a US launch price of $29.99. Apple also offered retail-store downloading for people without broadband and announced later USB media at a separate price.

  1. [1] Mac OS X Lion Available Today From the Mac App Store · Pricing & Availability

feature · introduced

Systemwide full-screen apps

documentedconfirmed

The feature created a full-screen workspace for supported applications and a gesture-driven path among those apps and desktop spaces. Apple's June description named several Apple apps prepared for the mode, while the July launch confirms the systemwide capability.

  1. [1] Mac OS X Lion With 250 New Features Available in July From Mac App Store · Full screen apps paragraph
  2. [2] Mac OS X Lion Available Today From the Mac App Store · Launch feature list; full-screen apps

enhancement · changed

Redesigned Mail

documentedconfirmed

The July launch confirms a complete Mail redesign. Apple's June pre-release description identified its principal elements as a widescreen interface, grouped Conversations, search suggestions and refinements, and built-in Microsoft Exchange 2010 support.

  1. [1] Apple Releases Developer Preview of Mac OS X Lion · Additional features; Mail
  2. [2] Mac OS X Lion Available Today From the Mac App Store · Launch feature list; redesigned Mail
  3. [3] Mac OS X Lion With 250 New Features Available in July From Mac App Store · Mail paragraph

compatibility · changed

Snow Leopard and Intel hardware baseline

documentedconfirmed

Apple's launch requirements named Core 2 Duo, Core i3, Core i5, Core i7, and Xeon Macs with 2GB of RAM, and allowed the purchase to be installed on a user's authorized personal Macs.

  1. [1] Mac OS X Lion Available Today From the Mac App Store · Pricing & Availability; system requirements

enhancement · changed

Mac App Store integrated into the OS

documentedconfirmed

The store became part of Lion's system experience, with purchased apps installing into Launchpad. Apple's June pre-release announcement also said the store would support smaller delta app updates and Lion-aware app capabilities.

  1. [1] Mac OS X Lion Available Today From the Mac App Store · Launch feature list; Mac App Store
  2. [2] Apple Releases Developer Preview of Mac OS X Lion · Mac App Store paragraph
  3. [3] Mac OS X Lion With 250 New Features Available in July From Mac App Store · Mac App Store paragraph

enhancement · changed

Expanded Multi-Touch gestures

documentedconfirmed

Apple's June announcement described momentum scrolling, tap-or-pinch zoom, horizontal swipes for pages and full-screen apps, and a gesture for Mission Control; the July public-launch announcement confirms new Multi-Touch gestures as part of Lion.

  1. [1] Mac OS X Lion Available Today From the Mac App Store · Launch feature list; Multi-Touch gestures
  2. [2] Mac OS X Lion With 250 New Features Available in July From Mac App Store · Multi-Touch gestures paragraph