macOS 27 Golden Gate can show you which of your apps are still built for Intel. Open System Settings, click General, then About, and click the Details button next to Intel-based Apps in the macOS section.
That list is a countdown. Apple says Rosetta, the translation layer that lets Intel apps run on Apple silicon, is available on Macs using macOS 27 or earlier, and that starting with macOS 28 it will work “only for certain older, unmaintained games that rely on Intel-based frameworks.” An app on the list runs on Golden Gate, but Apple’s release notes describe the list as Intel-based apps “that will be incompatible with macOS 28.0.”
How to open the Intel-based apps list
Apple’s support page on Intel-based apps, published September 14, gives these steps:
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- Make sure your Mac is using macOS 27 or later.
- From the Apple menu, choose System Settings.
- Click General in the sidebar, then click About on the right.
- In the macOS section, click the Details button next to Intel-based Apps.
Apple says the list shows “apps that you recently used or that are installed in common locations.” Move the pointer over an app’s name and click the More Info button to choose Show App in Finder or Move to Trash. Apple’s release notes add that the list also identifies unused Intel-based software on the Mac, and that the system “might suggest a website where an Apple silicon native version can be found.”
You may get a warning before you ever open the list. Apple says that when you open an Intel-based app, you might be told that support is ending and that “the app or a component used by the app” will not work with macOS 28. In macOS 27, those apps also “display a treatment in Get Info,” according to the release notes.
What the list can miss
Treat the list as a first pass. Apple’s release notes say “Intel-based plugins and loaders may not appear in Settings or trigger notifications of their incompatibility.” Apple names VSTs, HAL and ARA audio plug-ins, printer extensions (PDEs), color pickers, and Quick Look and Spotlight plug-ins, and points to locations such as:
~/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/~/Library/Printers/~/Library/ColorPickers/
The same note sets the stakes plainly: “All Intel-based software will no longer be compatible with macOS 28.0, excluding legacy games.”
Because the list draws on recently used apps and common locations, an app you rarely open and keep in an unusual folder might not appear. For anything you’re unsure about, Apple’s Finder check still works: select the app, choose File > Get Info (or press Command-I), and read the Kind line.
| Kind in Get Info | What Apple says it means |
|---|---|
| Application (Intel) | Made for a Mac with an Intel processor. Apple says you should update it for Apple silicon. |
| Application (Universal) | Made for both Macs with Apple silicon and Macs with an Intel processor. |
| Application (Apple silicon) | Made for a Mac with Apple silicon. |
What to do with an app on the list
Apple’s advice is to replace each Intel-based app with a Universal or Apple silicon version:
- If it came from the App Store, use the App Store to find and install an update.
- Look for a Check for Updates option, or something similar, in the app’s menus or settings.
- Check the developer’s website. Apple says the notification you received about the app might include a link.
- If none of that works, contact the developer to ask whether an Apple silicon version is available or planned.
Apple also warns that apps can include components, such as extensions or updaters, that need updating separately, and that Intel-based plug-ins or add-ons from another developer need updating too. If an app has no Apple silicon version coming, the list gives you time to find a replacement while it still runs. Our earlier reports cover what Apple told developers about Intel and Rosetta and the conflicting end dates on Apple’s own pages.
Two Rosetta changes after upgrading
Rosetta isn’t reinstalled for you. Apple’s release notes say: “If Rosetta was previously installed, it is not automatically restored after upgrading to macOS 27.0.” Apple’s support page says opening any Intel-based app prompts you to install it, or you can run softwareupdate --install-rosetta in Terminal.
“Open using Rosetta” settings are cleared. Apps you previously set to open using Rosetta now launch natively, and Apple says past compatibility issues “should be re-assessed on macOS 27.” The Get Info option exists so a Universal app can use Intel-only plug-ins, extensions and add-ons, and Apple says it still works in macOS 27. If an app depends on those, turn the option back on.
None of this applies to Intel Macs, which can’t install macOS 27 Golden Gate. Apple says macOS 27 is compatible with any Mac with Apple silicon, so the list is for Apple silicon owners who have already upgraded.
