All new Macs use an Apple Silicon chip these days, but many people still use older apps made for Intel processors. Rosetta 2 helps with this by functioning as a translation program, so that Macs with an M chip can also run Intel apps. But with macOS 28, this support ends completely. This means that apps that still run on Intel code will need to be updated or will no longer work.
This change marks the end of a transition of more than five years. Since the first M1 Macs in 2020, Apple helped Rosetta 2 so that users didn’t have to switch immediately. If you are using tools or old apps that are not adapted for Apple Silicon, you should take action or prepare for the fact that those apps will no longer work.
Support for Intel apps will end
Since macOS Tahoe (26.x), Macs with an Apple Silicon chip provide a notification when starting an Intel app: “support for Intel apps ends”. This is not a direct threat, but is a clear warning from Apple that the Rosetta mechanism will be discontinued in a future version of macOS and that macOS Golden Gate (27.x) will be the last version to support these apps. This means specifically:
- Rosetta 2 will continue to run fully until macOS 27. Intel apps that you still use today will continue to work.
- Starting with macOS 28, support for Rosetta 2 will be dropped. Most Intel apps that have not been updated to Apple Silicon support will no longer launch.
- Apple retains a small amount of Rosetta functionality for certain legacy game titles that are no longer updated, but that is more of a lifeline than a long-term option.
How Rosetta works on a Mac
If a developer has not yet updated their apps for Apple Silicon, Rosetta 2 will take on this task. In the background, this software ensures that you can use programs that were only developed for Mac computers with an Intel processor. Rosetta automatically translates the app to make it compatible with Apple Silicon.
When you first open an Intel app on a Silicon Mac, it may take a while for the application to start up as macOS adjusts settings for optimal performance. Typically you won’t notice a performance difference with an app that requires Rosetta, but issues can arise. Please contact the developer if you have any questions or concerns.
Apple encourages developers to optimize their apps for Apple Silcion as soon as possible. They can do so via the Developer website request additional information about the switch to Apple’s own processors for Mac.
New apps developed with the latest Xcode will support both Intel and Apple Silicon, these are called Universal apps. As an added benefit, Macs with Apple Silicon can also run iOS/iPadOS apps, provided the developer allows this.
Check if an app uses Intel or Apple Silicon
Fortunately, you don’t have to guess whether your favorite apps will survive the transition. Via Finder you can easily find out how a specific app is structured. To do this, follow the steps below:
- Open the Finder and go to the Apps folder.
- Right-click on the app you want to check.
- Choose Show info.
- In the info window under the heading ‘General’, look at the text behind Type.
Here you can encounter three different statuses:
- App (Intel): The app is made exclusively for Intel-based Macs. This app currently requires Rosetta to function on your Apple Silicon Mac and will stop working in the future if you update macOS.
- App (Universal): The app contains code for both Intel and Apple Silicon processors. The Mac automatically chooses the fastest, native version. Rosetta is not necessary.
- App (Apple Silicon): The app is completely built for Apple’s modern chips and runs optimally without the need for additional software.
Also pay attention to plugins and extensions
Sometimes a main program has been updated to Apple Silicon, but you are using specific audio add-ons, photo extensions or professional third-party plug-ins that still run on the old Intel architecture. For this reason, you will see the option ‘Open with Rosetta’ in the ‘Show info’ window of some universal apps. If this option is enabled, you force a universal app to start as an Intel app purely so it can load the old Intel plug-ins. Once Apple permanently discontinues support for Rosetta, this option will disappear and those specific plug-ins will become unusable.
What should you do if an app is ‘Intel’?
If you discover that an app you use a lot is still registered as ‘Intel’, Apple recommends that you contact the app developer as soon as possible. In many cases, there is simply a newer version available from the maker’s website or the Mac App Store for you to download.
If the developer has not updated the app for years and there are no plans for an Apple Silicon version, it is wise to start looking for a modern alternative now. This prevents you from suddenly no longer being able to access your familiar files or programs after a macOS update.