The end of Rosetta 2: which Intel apps stop working after macOS 27?

Seeing a message that support for Intel-based apps is ending when you open an app? That is the end of Rosetta 2 coming into view. Apple announced it back in 2025, and macOS Golden Gate (macOS 27) is the last version where Rosetta still works for every Intel app. From macOS 28, expected in the fall of 2027, most of those apps will no longer open. So you have about a year. That is plenty of time, as long as you take a look at what you use now. This whitepaper explains what Rosetta does, how to find out which of your apps are affected, and what you can do about it.

What is Rosetta 2?

When Apple moved from Intel processors to its own chips (M1 and later) in 2020, existing Mac apps no longer just worked. They were built for a different kind of processor. Rosetta 2 fixes that by translating Intel code in the background into code your M-series chip understands. You usually don’t notice it at all, except that an app takes a little longer to open the first time.

Rosetta was always meant as a bridge. It gave developers time to rebuild their apps for Apple silicon. Most big apps made the move years ago. But plenty of apps, plug-ins and helper tools never did.

Rosetta 2 only translates Mac apps. It has nothing to do with Windows programs in Parallels or VMware. More on that below.

What Apple actually announced

Apple’s own support article says Rosetta is available on any Mac with Apple silicon running macOS 27 or earlier. Starting with macOS 28, Rosetta will only be available for certain older, unmaintained games that rely on Intel-based frameworks. Apple hasn’t said which games qualify or how it will decide.

Apple has also said that Rosetta for Linux in virtual machines will stay after macOS 27. That matters for developers who use Docker.

Since macOS Tahoe 26.4, opening an Intel app shows a notice. In short, it says this version of the app will not open in a future version of macOS. Sometimes it includes a link to the developer’s website. The notice is just a heads-up: the app keeps working on macOS 26 and 27.

One thing to know: Rosetta is no longer installed by default in macOS 27. The first time you open an Intel app, your Mac asks whether you want to install it. That takes a few seconds.

Which of your apps are still Intel?

There are three ways to check.

In System Settings (macOS 27)

macOS Golden Gate has a dedicated overview. Go to System Settings > General > About. In the macOS section you’ll find a line for Intel-based Apps with a Details button. It lists the Intel apps you’ve used recently or that sit in the usual places. Using the button with three dots, you can show an app in the Finder or move it straight to the Trash.

In the Finder

Select an app in the Applications folder and choose File > Get Info (or Command-I). Next to Kind you’ll see Intel, Universal or Apple silicon. Universal and Apple silicon are fine. Only Intel is a problem.

Do you see an Open using Rosetta checkbox in that window? Then the app itself is Universal, but it can start in Intel mode to load old plug-ins. If that box is checked, find out why. An old plug-in is usually the reason.

In System Information

Hold the Option key, click the Apple menu and choose System Information. Go to Software > Applications and click the Kind column to sort. This list is more complete, because it also shows helper tools hidden deep in the system, such as updaters and printer utilities.

What happens after macOS 28

Intel apps won’t open on macOS 28, except for the games that fall under Apple’s exception. A Universal app that you open with Rosetta to use an old plug-in stops working that way too. Your files stay where they are. It’s the app that opens them that goes away.

Nobody forces you to install macOS 28. Apple usually keeps shipping security updates for older macOS versions for a few years. But a new Mac bought after fall 2027 will come with macOS 28 or later, and you can’t go back on that one.

Impact by type of software

CrossOver and Wine

CrossOver runs Windows programs without Windows. On a Mac with Apple silicon it currently relies on Rosetta 2, because most Windows programs are built for Intel and AMD. Without Rosetta, that stops working. CodeWeavers, the company behind it, says CrossOver will carry on after macOS 28. They are building a native Arm version using a customized version of the FEX translator. Preview builds have been available since July 2026, but CodeWeavers itself says they are only fit for testing. Games that run through Apple’s Game Porting Toolkit or Whisky also depend on Rosetta. For an overview of the ways to run Windows programs, see Windows apps on a Mac with Apple silicon.

Windows in Parallels or VMware Fusion

Nothing changes here. A virtual machine runs Windows 11 for Arm, and Windows translates Intel programs itself with Prism, Microsoft’s own emulator. Rosetta isn’t involved.

Docker and x86 containers

Docker Desktop can use Rosetta to run amd64 containers faster on a Mac with Apple silicon. That happens inside a Linux environment, and according to Apple, Rosetta for Linux virtual machines stays available after macOS 27. How Docker will handle this exactly isn’t known yet. If it does break, Docker falls back to the slower QEMU emulation. Your best bet is to use arm64 images wherever you can.

Plug-ins and drivers

This is the group people most often forget. Audio plug-ins (AU and VST) for Logic, Ableton or Cubase, old plug-ins for Photoshop or Illustrator, and utilities for printers and scanners are sometimes still Intel-only. The main app has been updated, but runs in Rosetta mode to load those plug-ins. After macOS 28 that’s no longer possible.

With printers and scanners, it’s usually the scanning app or a manufacturer utility that’s the issue. Printing through AirPrint or the standard printer support in macOS keeps working regardless. Rosetta never translated kernel extensions anyway, so old drivers of that type already didn’t work on Apple silicon.

Games

Games are the only group Apple is making an exception for. But that exception is narrow and not clearly defined yet. Don’t count on an old Intel game in your Steam library still working after macOS 28.

At a glance

What you can do now

• Update. Often a Universal version has existed for ages and you simply never updated. Check the App Store, the app’s own menu (Check for Updates) or the developer’s website.
• Ask the developer. Send a short email asking whether an Apple silicon version is coming. At least you’ll know where you stand.
• Find an alternative. Many old utilities have a more modern replacement by now, or macOS can do the job itself.
• Keep one Mac on macOS 27. If you have one essential app with no successor, you can leave a Mac on macOS 27. An Intel Mac running macOS Tahoe even runs Intel apps without Rosetta, and still gets security updates for a while. Ideally, use that Mac just for that one job.
• A virtual machine. With Parallels or UTM you can run macOS 27 in a virtual machine on a newer Mac. Whether Rosetta keeps working inside it once the host is on macOS 28 isn’t certain yet. Test it first.

Step-by-step plan

1. Open System Settings > General > About and look at the list of Intel-based apps. Or sort by Kind in System Information.
2. Delete apps you no longer use.
3. Update the rest through the App Store, the app’s menu or the developer’s website.
4. For Universal apps, check whether Open using Rosetta is on, and find out which plug-in is the reason.
5. Make a list of what’s left and email those developers.
6. Look for alternatives to apps without a future, and test them now, not in 2027.
7. If you use CrossOver or Docker, follow the news from CodeWeavers and Docker.
8. Hold off on macOS 28 until you’re sure everything you need works.

This whitepaper describes the situation in October 2026. Apple hasn’t shared everything about macOS 28 yet, such as which games fall under the exception. We’ll update this article as soon as more is known.

This article is part of the Mac and the rest of the world series, where you’ll find every part in one place.