Apple to Phase Out Rosetta 2 Starting With macOS 28 as Intel Era Ends

Following its WWDC keynote on Monday, Apple updated a developer document to indicate that Rosetta 2 will remain available through macOS 27.

apple silicon 1 feature
Rosetta 2 enables Macs with Apple silicon (Arm architecture) to run apps that were built for Macs with an Intel processor (x86 architecture), by translating code.

Starting with macOS 28, Apple said that only a limited version of Rosetta 2 will remain available for older games that rely on Intel-based frameworks:

Rosetta was designed to make the transition to Apple silicon easier, and we plan to make it available for the next two major macOS releases – through macOS 27 – as a general-purpose tool for Intel apps to help developers complete the migration of their apps. Beyond this timeframe, we will keep a subset of Rosetta functionality aimed at supporting older unmaintained gaming titles, that rely on Intel-based frameworks.

The document also reiterates that macOS Tahoe will be the final macOS release that supports Intel-based Macs. However, Apple said that Intel-based Macs will continue to receive security updates for an additional three years.

macOS Tahoe is compatible with only a handful of Intel-based Macs, including the 16-inch MacBook Pro (2019), 13-inch MacBook Pro (2020, Four Thunderbolt 3 Ports), 27-inch iMac (2020), and Mac Pro (2019).

macOS 28 will be released in 2027.

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro Dark Blue and Orange

iPhone 17 Release Date, Pre-Orders, and What to Expect

Thursday August 28, 2025 4:08 am PDT by
An iPhone 17 announcement is a dead cert for September 2025 – Apple has already sent out invites for an "Awe dropping" event on Tuesday, September 9 at the Apple Park campus in Cupertino, California. The timing follows Apple's trend of introducing new iPhone models annually in the fall. At the event, Apple is expected to unveil its new-generation iPhone 17, an all-new ultra-thin iPhone 17...
iPhone 17 Pro Iridescent Feature 2

iPhone 17 Pro Clear Case Leak Reveals Three Key Changes

Sunday August 31, 2025 1:26 pm PDT by
Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 17 series on Tuesday, September 9, and last-minute rumors about the devices continue to surface. The latest info comes from a leaker known as Majin Bu, who has shared alleged images of Apple's Clear Case for the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max, or at least replicas. Image Credit: @MajinBuOfficial The images show three alleged changes compared to Apple's iP...
xiaomi apple ad india

Apple and Samsung Push Back Against Xiaomi's Bold India Ads

Friday August 29, 2025 4:54 am PDT by
Apple and Samsung have reportedly issued cease-and-desist notices to Xiaomi in India for an ad campaign that directly compares the rivals' devices to Xiaomi's products. The two companies have threatened the Chinese vendor with legal action, calling the ads "disparaging." Ads have appeared in local print media and on social media that take pot shots at the competitors' premium offerings. One...
iOS 18 on iPhone Arrow Down

Apple Preparing iOS 18.7 for iPhones as iOS 26 Release Date Nears

Sunday August 31, 2025 4:35 pm PDT by
Apple is preparing to release iOS 18.7 for compatible iPhone models, according to evidence of the update in the MacRumors visitor logs. We expect iOS 18.7 to be released in September, alongside iOS 26. The update will likely include fixes for security vulnerabilities, but little else. iOS 18.7 will be one of the final updates ever released for the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR,...
maxresdefault

The MacRumors Show: iPhone 17's 'Awe Dropping' Accessories

Friday August 29, 2025 8:12 am PDT by
Following the announcement of Apple's upcoming "Awe dropping" event, on this week's episode of The MacRumors Show we talk through all of the new accessories rumored to debut alongside the iPhone 17 lineup. Subscribe to The MacRumors Show YouTube channel for more videos We take a closer look at Apple's invite for "Awe dropping;" the design could hint at the iPhone 17's new thermal system with ...

Top Rated Comments

turbineseaplane Avatar
12 weeks ago
Bummer

Lots of software will get lost forever
Score: 36 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TruthAboveAllElse Avatar
12 weeks ago
This is unfortunate. Rosetta 1 was almost unusable at times so made sense to phase it out. Rosetta 2 is usually totally invisible to the user, so a shame to break compatibility.
Score: 31 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Lounge vibes 05 Avatar
12 weeks ago
Intel getting an extra three years of security updates means that 2019 MBPs will have received 10 years of official support, from 2019 to 2029.
Where is the guy that made that massive thread the other day saying Intel computers would become bricks this fall?
And I think this confirms that M1s will likely be supported at least in a security capacity into the early 2030s easily.

While it’s definitely unfortunate that Rosetta is being dropped, Apple actually giving a timeline for these kind of things, including how long the Intel computers will get security updates, is big progress.
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)
StudioMacs Avatar
12 weeks ago

Imagine being a Mac Pro buyer who spent $50,000 in 2019 on the top-tier configuration, only for Apple to announce its migration to Apple Silicon a year later. Now imagine a company that invested in 10, 20, or even 50 of those Mac Pros—would you buy Apple again?
If purchased by a business in such quantities, the cost of the tangible assets over their useful life has been depreciated for tax purposes. In the US, the IRS generally assigns a 5-year useful life to computers and related equipment.
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
iHorseHead Avatar
12 weeks ago

Intel getting an extra three years of security updates means that 2019 MBPs will have received 10 years of official support, from 2019 to 2029.
Where is the guy that made that massive thread the other day saying Intel computers would become bricks this fall?
And I think this confirms that M1s will likely be supported at least in a security capacity into the early 2030s easily.

While it’s definitely unfortunate that Rosetta is being dropped, Apple actually giving a timeline for these kind of things, including how long the Intel computers will get security updates, is big progress.
A lot of people don't realise that Intel Macs are getting much better support than PowerPC Macs. Imagine spending like 3k on a Mac Pro and then it's supported only from Tiger to Leopard.
Like from 2005 to 2009.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
woolypants Avatar
12 weeks ago
Stop for a moment and consider how completely amazing Rosetta is. A technical tour de force.

I do wonder a little where this leaves the whole gaming triple-A title thing that Apple was talking about this time last year. Wasn't that basically built on Vulcan and Rosetta? Did nobody show any interest, so now it's forgotten?

EDIT: As somebody points out, this was built on Wine and not Vulkan.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)