In its announcement as part of the WWDC 2025 event, Apple officially announced that macOS 26 Tahoe version will be the last major update offered for Intel-based devices. With this strategic decision, macOS 27, which is expected to be introduced at the WWDC 2026 opening in June 2026, will only run on Mac computers with Apple Silicon architecture. This new operating system, which is planned to be available for general use in September, is aimed at devices with M series chips or MacBook Neo models with A18 Pro processor. Thus, the technology giant takes its transformation in hardware architecture one step further with software support.

Buff for Intel-Based Devices Ends

This new policy announced by Apple directly affects certain Intel-based models produced in 2019 and 2020. Devices that can run the macOS Tahoe version but will not receive the macOS 27 update include the 2020 model 13-inch MacBook Pro with four Thunderbolt ports, the 2019 model 16-inch MacBook Pro, the 2020 model 27-inch iMac and the 2019 model Mac Pro.

These Intel-powered devices will be excluded from software updates with macOS 27.

Apple has committed to a three-year period of additional security updates for users of these devices. During this period, it is aimed to protect devices against critical security vulnerabilities, but new features or performance improvements will focus only on the Apple Silicon platform.

Rosetta Translation Layer Is Being Phased Out

One of the most curious topics regarding software compatibility is the future of Intel-based applications. Apple has stated that macOS 27 will be the last major update to include the Rosetta translation layer. This tool serves as a critical bridge that enables applications written for Intel architecture to run on Apple Silicon processors.

Rosetta will be offered one last time as a general-target tool for developers to migrate their applications to the new architecture.

The company announced that Rosetta will not be removed completely after macOS 27, but its scope will be reduced. In the future, Rosetta will continue to be maintained with limited functionality only for running old and unmaintained games that rely on Intel-based frameworks. This is a final invitation for developers to transition their applications to contemporary architecture.

User Experience Shapes in the New Architecture

With macOS 27, Apple aims to optimize the entire software ecosystem on the chipsets it produces. While all devices with M1 and newer chips are expected to receive this update, the importance of users’ hardware preferences in operating system performance increases. This decision by Apple is considered as part of its strategy to maximize the integration between software and hardware.

Do you think Apple’s decision to end support for Intel-based Macs is a premature decision or a necessary step for technological progress? You can share your thoughts on this issue and your current Mac model with us in the comments section.