macOS 26.4 adds Rosetta alert for Intel app support ending

Apple is closing the door on Intel-based Macs, and macOS Tahoe will be the last major release to support them. That means future macOS versions will run only on Apple silicon machines, and users who still rely on older hardware now face a clear deadline.



The change also affects app compatibility because Rosetta 2, the translation layer that lets Intel apps run on Apple silicon, will remain available only through macOS 27, after which most apps that depend on it will stop working unless developers update them.



According to Apple, macOS 26.4 introduces a warning pop-up whenever you open a Rosetta-based app, giving you advance notice before support ends.



What changes for Intel Macs



macOS 27 arrives in September 2026 and ends full support for Intel hardware, while macOS 28 in 2027 removes most Rosetta 2 functionality.




“will keep a subset of Rosetta functionality aimed at supporting older unmaintained gaming titles, that rely on Intel-based frameworks.”




However, the company still plans limited help for niche cases such as legacy games and Intel binaries running inside Linux virtual machines, and security fixes may continue for older systems for some time.



Apple began the transition in 2020 with M1 Macs and completed it with the Apple silicon Mac Pro, so this update simply finishes that long shift.



How to prepare




Check which apps show the Rosetta popup in macOS 26.4



Visit the developer site or App Store page for a native Apple silicon version



Replace abandoned apps with modern alternatives



Back up important files from older Intel machines



Plan a hardware upgrade before macOS 28 releases




Users still have over a year, but the warnings in macOS 26.4 signal that the transition is no longer theoretical and the Intel era is now on a fixed timeline.