Apple has announced that macOS 27 is the last version that supports Rosetta for apps. Apple hasn’t given a date for macOS 28; it usually releases a new version every autumn, so autumn 2027 is likely. Everything below is easier while your apps still open, so it’s worth doing now.
1. Make a list of your Intel-only apps
Use one of the methods in How to find Intel-only apps on your Mac. Include apps outside the Applications folder, background tools that start with your Mac, and apps you open only once a year (tax software, scanner utilities, old games).
2. Look up each app
For each app, check whether a version for Apple silicon exists: on the developer’s website or in our compatibility database. Note whether the update is free, a paid upgrade or a subscription.
3. Update what you can
Install the native versions you’re happy to use. Afterwards, check in Finder (File › Get Info) that the app now shows “Application (Universal)” or “Application (Apple silicon)”.
4. Keep the installers and licence keys of the rest
For every app you want to keep using as it is:
- keep the original installer or disk image, and the downloaded update files;
- note the serial number or licence key, and the email address of the account it belongs to;
- write down how activation works (online activation, number of computers allowed) and, if the app has a deactivation option, deactivate it before you erase or sell a Mac.
Store these in a safe place outside the Mac, for example an external drive or a password manager.
5. Export important data
If an app keeps your data in its own format (a database, a project file, a catalogue), export a copy to an open format that other apps can read: PDF, CSV, plain text, standard image or audio formats. That way your data stays usable whatever happens to the app.
6. Check plug-ins and drivers
Plug-ins (audio units, filters, printer and scanner components) and drivers that exist only for Intel need Rosetta too. Note which ones you rely on and whether the maker offers Apple silicon versions.
7. Back up your Mac
Make a full backup — for example with Time Machine — before you install a major macOS update. A Mac with Apple silicon can’t be downgraded to a macOS version older than the one it came with, and returning to an earlier version means erasing the Mac and restoring from a backup.
8. Decide how each remaining app will keep running
For apps without a native version, your options are an alternative app, staying on macOS 27 on the Mac you have (only as long as Apple releases security updates for it), or running macOS 27 in a virtual machine with UTM, VirtualBuddy, Parallels Desktop or Keep86. We compare them in How to run Intel apps on Apple silicon after macOS 28.
Keep86 is planned for October 2026 and has not published per-app test results yet. Join the launch list to hear when it is available and when the free scanner can check your Mac.
Sources
- Apple Developer News, “Upcoming changes to Rosetta support for Intel-based macOS apps”, 1 September 2026 — https://developer.apple.com/news/?id=w5ngl9k2
- Apple Support, “Using Intel-based apps on a Mac with Apple silicon” — https://support.apple.com/en-us/102527