MATLAB: Am I unable to start MATLAB on macOS 10.10 Yosemite or later

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After installing macOS 10.10 or later (such as macOS 10.11) I am no longer able to launch MATLAB (for any release version). This support article also applies to customers who have successfully installed MATLAB R2014a in macOS 10.10, but are now unable to launch MATLAB.

Best Answer

MATLAB R2014b is supported on macOS 10.10 (Yosemite) and later. R2014b works without any modifications. Earlier versions may require a patch, or a legacy version of Java, or both.
MATLAB R2012a through R2014a
When launching MATLAB, you will see a Java exception and abrupt exit upon startup. This patch should fix this error:
https://www.mathworks.com/support/bugreports/1098655
Even after applying the patch you may see this error message when launching MATLAB:
ERROR: "You can't use this version of the application".
This issue can be resolved by following the steps in the Bug Report linked below:
https://www.mathworks.com/support/bugreports/1116607
MATLAB R2008b through R2013a
These releases of of MATLAB require Apple's legacy Java 6 to run:
https://support.apple.com/kb/DL1572
You will also need to install XQuartz, an open source implementation of X11, to run these releases:
https://www.xquartz.org/
Note that R2011a through R2013a require legacy Java 6, XQuartz, and the above patch to run
MATLAB R2008a and earlier
MathWorks is not aware of a way to make R2008a or earlier run on OS X 10.10 or later. If you discover a workaround for this configuration, please contact MathWorks support:
https://www.mathworks.com/support/contact_us.html
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