macOS 27 Golden Gate, arriving in September 2026, will be the final major macOS release to offer full Rosetta 2 support. Apple’s dynamic binary translator has kept Intel-compiled apps running on Apple silicon Macs for six years. Beginning with macOS 28, the general-purpose translation layer will be removed entirely, leaving only a stripped-down compatibility layer for legacy unmaintained gaming titles.
Apple confirmed this final deadline at WWDC 2026 in June. The company first announced the Rosetta sunset at WWDC 2025, committing to keep the translator available through macOS 27 as developers completed their app migrations. That promise is now being enforced. macOS 27 Golden Gate adds Siri AI, Visual Intelligence, and smarter Safari alongside this critical compatibility milestone.
What changes in Golden Gate
Apple has taken several explicit steps in macOS 27 to communicate the cutoff and prepare users. The system displays alerts whenever an Intel-only app is launched, flagging that support will end in a future macOS release. A new troubleshooting tool appears in Settings under General > About > Intel-Based Apps, where users can review a full list of incompatible software on their machine.
Golden Gate does not install Rosetta automatically. Users who upgrade and still need the translator will face a short installation prompt the first time they open an Intel app. If you’re already testing the release, How to Install macOS 27 Golden Gate Developer Beta Free provides a complete walkthrough. Additionally, the system automatically uninstalls Rosetta 2 if it was present in macOS 26 Tahoe. Those who need it must reinstall the feature manually.
Most widely used applications completed their transition to native Apple silicon builds long ago. The six years since the M1 announcement in 2020 proved sufficient for mainstream software vendors. However, a long tail of niche utilities, academic tools, professional software, and smaller indie projects remain Intel-only. Their developers have ignored or are only now responding to the deadline.
macOS 28 will retain only a limited Rosetta implementation designed specifically for legacy gaming titles. Apple describes this as support for “older unmaintained gaming titles that rely on Intel-based frameworks,” suggesting a narrow scope. The exact criteria for qualifying games remain undefined.
Developers and organizations still dependent on Intel-only software face three choices: migrate to updated native builds before macOS 28 launches, find alternative software, or remain on macOS 27 indefinitely. The third option forfeits future security patches and new features. For professional workflows built around legacy software, that trade-off is steep.
