Apple Allows Mac App Store Apps to Drop Intel Mac Support; macOS Golden Gate to Be Apple Silicon Only
Apple now permits Mac App Store apps that require macOS 13 or later and are distributed as universal binaries to drop support for Intel-based Macs. This simplifies development and reduces app size. Once dropped, Intel Macs will no longer receive updates but can still use the last compatible version. macOS Tahoe will be the final Intel-compatible release, while macOS Golden Gate will support only Apple silicon Macs, with most Rosetta 2-dependent apps unable to launch.
Apple has informed developers that Mac App Store apps requiring macOS 13 or later and distributed in a universal format may now drop support for Intel-based Macs. The company said that removing Intel Mac support allows developers to streamline their development process and reduce the size of app downloads and on-device storage. Once an app stops supporting Intel Macs, those devices will no longer receive subsequent updates, but users can continue to use the last compatible version of the app. Previously, Apple did not allow Mac App Store apps that still supported Intel Macs to drop such support.
macOS Tahoe will be the last version of macOS to support Intel Macs, while macOS Golden Gate will support only Macs with an M1 chip or newer Apple silicon. In parallel, Apple is gradually ending support for Rosetta 2, which enables apps built for Intel processors to run on Apple silicon Macs. After macOS Golden Gate is released, most apps that rely on Rosetta 2 will no longer be able to launch. However, Apple will provide an exception for certain older, unmaintained games that depend on Intel frameworks.