Macs with Apple chip: Intel software will no longer run in future
Apple is removing Rosetta translation layer from macOS 28. Developers should already test whether their apps still run on Macs with an M chip.
(Image: Farknot Architect / Shutterstock.com)
Apple is rapidly approaching the completion of the major Mac switch to its chips. This not only has consequences for Mac users of older models with Intel processors, but also for owners of Macs with Apple's M-Chip. From fall 2027, the manufacturer will no longer provide the important Rosetta 2 translation layer. Without Rosetta, however, applications written for Intel Macs or x86 processors will no longer run on current MacBooks and desktop Macs with an M chip.
Developers can review apps
In the latest beta 2 of macOS 26 Tahoe, Apple has already integrated a new function that allows developers to check whether their apps still rely on Rosetta in any way. If the boot argument is set to boot-arg nox86exec=1, processes that require Rosetta will crash immediately and deliver a crash report, the company explains in the release notes of the developer pre-release version.
Ultimately, it is now up to developers to adapt their software – just like the Steam client did recently. Users can open the “System Information” app and sort by “Type” under Software > Programs to get a quick overview of which Intel apps are still installed on their system.
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Apple only wants to provide a small part of the Rosetta functions for certain games that are no longer maintained and require Intel frameworks. Why a distinction is being made here between games and other software, and why Rosetta 2 is being phased out so quickly, remains an open question for Apple.
Seamless Mac transition from Intel to ARM
The binary code translator Rosetta made the processor architecture change to Apple Silicon announced five years ago extremely convenient in most cases: Rosetta had to be downloaded once and then simply executed existing software with x86_64 instructions from – invisibly for the user. This worked flawlessly with the vast majority of applications: as Apple was able to deliver a massive leap in performance with the M chips, the Intel apps often ran even faster on the new models than before on the Intel Macs. Only virtualizers that run x86 systems as virtual machines were excluded. Apple already relied on a translation layer called Rosetta during the previous switch from PowerPC to Intel processors 20 years ago.
For the last supported Intel Macs, macOSÂ 26Â Tahoe marks the end, as Apple announced at WWDC in early June. They will then receive security updates until 2028.
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