Intel-Only Mac Apps Stop Running in macOS 28

Mac apps built only for Intel chips stop running on Apple silicon Macs in macOS 28, because macOS 27 Golden Gate is the last release with Rosetta for any app. To see which of yours are affected, open System Settings › General › About and click Details next to Intel-based Apps.

The one exception Apple names is games: macOS 28 keeps part of Rosetta for “certain older, unmaintained games that rely on Intel-based frameworks”. Apple has not said which.

What changes, release by release

macOS	What happens to Intel-only apps
26.4 or later	They still run. A notice may appear when you open one, telling you to update it
27 Golden Gate	They still run, through Rosetta, for the last time. System Settings lists them
28, the next major release	They stop running, apart from certain older games

Apple’s developer post of 1 September puts it without qualification: after macOS 27, Intel-only apps “will no longer run on Mac computers with Apple silicon”. Its support article for owners, published on 21 September, says the same about macOS 28.

Neither page gives macOS 28 a date.

Find your Intel-only apps

On macOS 27, the list:

1. Open System Settings from the Apple menu.
2. Click General, then About.
3. In the macOS section, click Details next to Intel-based Apps.

Apple says the list shows apps “that you recently used or that are installed in common locations”, so an app kept somewhere unusual may not appear. Each entry can be shown in Finder or moved to the Trash from its More Info button.

On any version, one app at a time:

1. Select the app in Finder. Most are in Applications.
2. Press Command-I, or choose File › Get Info.
3. Read the line after Kind.

Kind says	What it means	In macOS 28
Application (Apple silicon)	Built for Apple silicon only	Unaffected
Application (Universal)	Built for both Apple silicon and Intel	Unaffected
Application (Intel)	Built for Intel only; runs through Rosetta	Stops running, unless it is one of the games Apple keeps

What to do about each one

Apple’s support page gives the order to try:

1. App Store apps: check the App Store for an update.
2. Everything else: look on the developer’s website for a version marked Universal or Apple silicon. The notice macOS shows may link to it.
3. Apps with their own updater: use the app’s Check for Updates option.
4. No update anywhere: ask the developer whether one is planned. If none is, macOS 28 is when you need a replacement. If you keep the app’s old .pkg to reinstall it later, check the date too: installers signed under Apple’s original Developer ID authority stop installing on 1 February 2027.

Check the add-ons too. Apple warns that plug-ins, extensions and updaters can be Intel-based separately from the app, and need updating on their own. A Universal app with an Intel-only plug-in is the case to look for, because Get Info shows the app itself as Universal.

That is what the Open using Rosetta checkbox in Get Info is for. It appears on some Universal apps and forces them to run as Intel apps so they can load Intel-only add-ons. Apple says that from macOS 28 Rosetta is kept only for certain older games, which leaves no room for this use, though its pages do not mention the checkbox’s future directly. If you rely on it, the add-on needs an Apple silicon version before macOS 28.

If you have to keep an Intel app

Staying on macOS 27 keeps Rosetta, and Apple’s support page says it is available on any Apple silicon Mac using macOS 27 or earlier. The trade is running an older macOS, and Apple does not publish how long older versions keep getting security fixes, as our guide to which Macs run macOS 27 found when four Intel Macs were dropped.

Rosetta also costs something while it lasts. Apple’s developer documentation says translation takes time, so translated apps can launch or run more slowly. Running x86 code on an Arm chip is the same problem Valve solves with FEX, the translation layer the Steam Frame uses for Windows games.

Questions people ask

Will Intel apps work on macOS 28?

Not on an Apple silicon Mac, with one exception. Apple says that from macOS 28 Rosetta will be available only for certain older, unmaintained games that rely on Intel-based frameworks. Every other Intel-only app stops running. Apple has not said which games qualify.

How do I see which of my Mac apps use Rosetta?

On macOS 27, open System Settings, click General, then About, and click Details next to Intel-based Apps. On any version, select an app in Finder, press Command-I and read Kind: Application (Intel) is the one that needs Rosetta.

Is macOS 27 the last version with Rosetta?

Yes, for apps in general. Apple calls macOS 27 the final release to support Rosetta. macOS 28 keeps a subset of it for older games only.

What does the Rosetta warning when I open an app mean?

From macOS 26.4, a Mac may show a notice when you open an app that relies on Rosetta. Apple’s support page says it means the app, or a component it uses, will not work with macOS 28. Look for an update from the App Store or the developer.

What does “Open using Rosetta” in Get Info do?

It appears only on Universal apps whose developer added it. It makes the app run as an Intel app so it can load Intel-only plug-ins or extensions. Apple says to switch it off once those add-ons are updated for Apple silicon.

Can I keep using an Intel app by staying on macOS 27?

Yes. Rosetta stays available on macOS 27 and earlier. The cost is staying on an older macOS, and Apple does not publish how long older versions get security fixes.