MacHabitsRosetta 2 is the translator that lets Intel apps run on Apple silicon Macs. macOS 27 Golden Gate is the last version where it works for everything. Apple has said that from macOS 28, expected in fall 2027, Rosetta will remain only for certain older, unmaintained games that rely on Intel-based frameworks. Every other Intel-only app will stop opening.
That sounds far away. It isn’t: for most people, fall 2027 is two or three app update cycles, and some of your Intel apps have no developer left to update them. This is a countdown plan: build the list today, sort it into four piles, and spread the work over the next year.
Step 1: List your Intel apps in two minutes
The quickest list comes from Terminal. Paste this and press Return:
system_profiler SPApplicationsDataType | awk '/^ [^ ].*:$/{name=$0; intel=0} /Kind: Intel/{intel=1} /Location:/{if(intel) print name, $0}' > ~/Desktop/intel-apps.txtIt takes a minute to run, then creates intel-apps.txt on your Desktop with the name and location of every Intel-only app macOS knows about. Universal and Apple silicon apps aren’t included, because they aren’t affected.
Prefer not to use Terminal? Hold Option, choose Apple menu > System Information, select Applications under Software, and sort by the Kind column. Anything marked Intel belongs on your list.
Step 2: Add the Intel code you can’t see
Apps are the easy part. The things that surprise people are components that don’t appear in the Applications folder. Our guide to finding every Intel-only component covers each one in detail; at minimum, check:
- Audio plug-ins in
/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins. Your DAW may run natively while one plug-in forces a project into Rosetta. - Printer and scanner drivers. Old drivers are one of the most common Intel-only leftovers.
- Login items and background helpers in System Settings > General > Login Items & Extensions.
- Command-line tools. If
/usr/local/Homebrewexists on an Apple silicon Mac, you’re running an Intel copy of Homebrew migrated from an old Mac. The native copy lives in/opt/homebrew.
To check a single plug-in or tool, run file on it in Terminal. If the output mentions only x86_64 and not arm64, it’s Intel-only.
Step 3: Sort every item into four piles
| Pile | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Update | A Universal or Apple silicon version already exists | Update now. It is usually free and often faster. |
| Wait | The developer is active and has promised a native version | Note the promise and check again every few months |
| Replace | The developer is gone, or has said no | Choose and test an alternative this year, not in 2027 |
| Keep alive | No replacement exists and you can’t lose it | Plan a Mac or virtual machine that stays on macOS 27 |
Be ruthless with the list. Many Intel apps turn out to be things you haven’t opened in years. Delete those now; they are not worth planning around.
The “keep alive” options
- Stay on macOS 27 on one Mac. Rosetta keeps working on Golden Gate for as long as you stay on it. A spare Apple silicon Mac that never upgrades to 28 can keep Intel apps running for years, though it will eventually stop receiving security updates.
- A macOS 27 virtual machine. Apple silicon Macs can run macOS in a virtual machine with apps like UTM or Parallels. Keep a Golden Gate VM for the one Intel app you can’t replace. Test whether Rosetta works inside the VM for your specific app now, while you still have time to find another route.
- Intel Macs don’t help here. They can’t run Golden Gate at all and top out at Tahoe. An old Intel Mac can still run Intel apps natively, but it no longer gets new macOS features.
What about games?
Apple’s exception covers certain older, unmaintained games that rely on Intel-based frameworks. It doesn’t promise that every Intel game will work, and it doesn’t cover game launchers, mod tools or anti-cheat software. If games matter to you, keep them in your list and check again when macOS 28 betas arrive next summer.
A countdown calendar
- This week: run the list, delete what you don’t use, update everything in the Update pile.
- By the end of 2026: contact developers in the Wait pile, and pick replacements for the Replace pile.
- Spring 2027: finish moving your work into the replacement apps, and set up any keep-alive Mac or VM.
- June 2027, WWDC: Apple announces macOS 28. Check the first betas against your list.
- Fall 2027: don’t upgrade until your list is clear, or you’ve accepted what you’ll lose.
The short version
macOS 28 won’t save your Intel apps: apart from some older games, Intel-only software stops opening. Build the list now with one Terminal command or System Information, add plug-ins, drivers and command-line tools, and sort everything into update, wait, replace or keep alive. You have about a year, which is enough if you start this week.