Apple Confirms macOS 27 Will End Support for Intel Macs Ahead of WWDC 2026

Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2026 is all set to take place next week. The Cupertino-based tech giant is expected to preview its next-generation operating systems for the iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Ahead of the annual developer conference keynote on June 8, Apple has confirmed that macOS Tahoe will be the final major macOS release to support Intel-based Mac computers. The upcoming operating system, expected to be unveiled as macOS 27 during the event, will require Apple silicon hardware.

macOS 27 Said to Drop Support for Intel Macs

Apple has updated its developer website to state that macOS Tahoe will be the last major operating system release compatible with Intel-powered Macs. As a result, several Mac models currently capable of running macOS Tahoe will not be eligible for the macOS 27 update.

The list includes the 13-inch MacBook Pro (2020, Four Thunderbolt 3 Ports), 16-inch MacBook Pro (2019), 27-inch iMac (2020), and Mac Pro (2019).

While these Mac devices will no longer receive major feature updates, the company emphasised that they will continue to receive security updates for the next three years, maintaining ongoing protection against vulnerabilities.

Although the tech giant has not yet published the official compatibility list for macOS 27, the update is expected to support all Macs powered by M-series chips, starting with the M1 generation. The recently introduced MacBook Neo, which runs on the A18 Pro chipset, is also expected to be supported.

The company also confirmed that macOS 27 will be the final major release to include the full version of Rosetta, the translation technology designed to help users run Intel-based applications on Apple silicon Macs.

Rosetta, notably, serves as a compatibility layer that automatically translates apps containing x86_64 instructions so they can run on Apple silicon hardware. For users, the process is largely invisible. When macOS detects an Intel-only application, Rosetta automatically translates the software and launches it as though it were running natively.

The technology was introduced to ease the transition from Intel processors to Apple silicon and has allowed developers additional time to release native versions of their applications.

As per Apple, Rosetta will remain available as a general-purpose tool through macOS 27 to help developers complete the migration of their software. However, only a limited subset of Rosetta functionality will remain available to support older, unmaintained games that still rely on Intel-based frameworks.

Apple is expected to reveal additional details about macOS 27, including its official name, features, and supported devices, during the WWDC 2026 keynote.