Apple lets Mac App Store developers drop Intel support as Rosetta phaseout approaches

Apple is allowing developers to remove Intel Mac support from universal apps distributed through the Mac App Store, marking another step in the company’s transition toward an Apple silicon-only Mac ecosystem.

The change applies to universal macOS apps on the Mac App Store that require macOS 13 or later. Developers can now stop supporting Intel-based Macs while continuing to distribute and update the Apple silicon version of their apps.

Previously, Apple did not allow Mac App Store apps that already included Intel compatibility to simply remove that support. Under the updated policy, developers can choose to leave Intel Macs behind as they update their applications.

Apple says removing Intel support can simplify development while reducing both download and on-device app size. Universal binaries contain code for both Intel and Apple silicon architectures, meaning developers that no longer need to maintain Intel compatibility can reduce the amount of code included with their apps.

The change does not mean existing apps will immediately stop working for Intel Mac owners. If a developer removes Intel support from a future update, users with Intel-based Macs will still be able to download and use the last compatible version of the app available for their hardware.

The Mac App Store policy update comes as Apple moves closer to completing the transition it began with the introduction of Apple silicon in 2020.

Apple separately confirmed on September 1 that macOS 27 will be the final macOS release to support Rosetta, the translation technology that allows Intel-only Mac apps to run on Apple silicon machines. Intel-only apps will no longer run on Apple silicon Macs following that release, although Apple plans to maintain Rosetta functionality for some older, unmaintained games that depend on Intel-based frameworks.

The company is also introducing warnings ahead of the cutoff. Starting with macOS 26.4 or later, users may receive a system notification when launching an app that depends on Rosetta, informing them that they should update to an Apple silicon-native version.

Apple is advising developers that have not yet transitioned their apps to build universal binaries supporting both Apple silicon and Intel Macs. Developers that already provide Apple silicon-native versions are being encouraged to direct users toward the latest version before Rosetta support ends.

For Intel Mac users, the Mac App Store change represents a separate but related development. Developers can now discontinue Intel versions of qualifying Mac App Store apps even before Apple’s broader Rosetta transition is completed.

The shift follows Apple’s gradual reduction of Intel support across macOS. With developers now able to drop Intel compatibility from Mac App Store releases and Rosetta approaching the end of general support, the remaining software infrastructure connecting Intel-era Mac applications with Apple’s current hardware platform is being phased out.