How to Check Which Mac Apps Stop Working After macOS Golden Gate

If you need to know how to see which Mac apps will stop working after macOS Golden Gate, the check is now built directly into macOS itself. This guide walks through every method available, explains what the results mean, and gives you a concrete path forward for each app you find. On Golden Gate, the whole thing takes a few minutes. On Tahoe, two built-in tools cover the same ground.

macOS Golden Gate is the final release to include full Rosetta 2 support. At WWDC 2025, Apple confirmed the translation layer would remain available only through macOS 27, with a narrow carve-out preserved for older unmaintained games after that, as MacRumors reported this week. When macOS 28 ships, Intel-only apps stop launching entirely. No fallback. No compatibility mode.

The issue isn't hardware. Golden Gate requires Apple silicon, and Intel Macs topped out at Tahoe, but the problem for people running modern Macs is purely about software architecture. Most widely used apps have been updated with native Apple silicon support in the six years since the transition was announced, as MacRumors noted this week. Older utilities, niche tools, legacy enterprise software, and forgotten plugins are the things most likely to slip through.

If you've been seeing Apple's alert about Intel app compatibility when launching certain software, that notification is legitimate, not a phishing attempt. Bowdoin IT confirmed last month that it comes directly from Apple. Golden Gate is the warning window. Fall 2027 is the deadline.

What the "Kind" labels mean before you start checking

The tools below all sort apps by architecture type, called "Kind." Understanding each label before you run any check saves you from acting on false positives or, worse, overlooking genuine problems.

Apple Silicon and Universal apps need no action. Apple Silicon apps are built natively for M-series chips. Universal apps bundle both Intel and Apple silicon code in a single package and run natively on Apple silicon without Rosetta. Both are safe through macOS 28 and beyond, as Bowdoin IT explained last month.

Apps labeled Intel are the only ones at risk. They depend entirely on Rosetta 2 to run at all. After you upgrade to macOS 28 in fall 2027, they stop launching, according to Bowdoin IT. That's the only category requiring attention.

One partial exception: Apple has said it will keep a subset of Rosetta functionality for older unmaintained games built on Intel-based frameworks, MacRumors reported this week. The qualifying criteria haven't been published. Don't factor it into planning for anything that isn't a legacy game with no active developer.

One issue applies immediately to managed and shared Macs: authentication plugins and pre-login utilities that require Rosetta are already failing in Golden Gate, because Rosetta isn't available before a user session starts, MacRumors reported today. If your Mac is part of a managed fleet or uses third-party login software, this is a current problem, not a 2027 planning item.

Step-by-step: how to check which Mac apps require Rosetta

Choose the path that matches your current OS.

Path 1: macOS Golden Gate (fastest method)

Golden Gate adds a dedicated Intel-app list directly in System Settings. This is the most direct check available.

1. Open System Settings from the Apple menu or the Dock.
2. Go to General → About.
3. Find the Intel-Based Apps entry and click Details next to it.

What you'll see: a list of apps on your Mac that are going to stop working when macOS 28 ships, as MacRumors reported today. Apple built this list specifically to give users and developers time to find or build native alternatives before the deadline.

One gotcha with upgrading to Golden Gate: the OS removes any existing Rosetta installation from Tahoe rather than carrying it forward, as Cult of Mac reported yesterday. The first time you open an Intel app after upgrading, you'll be prompted to reinstall Rosetta manually before the app will launch.

The Intel-Based Apps list is a strong starting point. Apple hasn't documented exactly what it covers, and whether it captures background helpers, daemons, or plugin bundles installed by other apps is unconfirmed. Treat it as a reliable survey of user-facing software, not a guaranteed complete inventory.

Path 2: macOS Tahoe or earlier (System Information)

This method works on any version of macOS and produces a full sorted view of installed apps by architecture.

1. Hold the Option key and click the Apple menu, then select System Information.
2. In the left sidebar, expand Software and click Applications.
3. Once the list loads, click the Kind column header to sort. Apps group into Apple Silicon, Universal, Intel, and Other.

Everything listed under Intel depends on Rosetta to run. Ignore everything labeled Universal or Apple Silicon, as Apple Stack Exchange documented last month.

The list covers apps in standard locations. Software installed through MDM profiles or in non-standard directories may not appear, so if you manage a fleet or suspect your setup includes non-standard installs, check those locations separately.

Optional: Activity Monitor (for background processes)

For a more thorough audit, Activity Monitor surfaces Intel processes that are actively running, including background agents, login items, and helper tools that a main app installs as separate components.

Open Activity Monitor (Applications → Utilities), click the CPU tab, and add the Kind column via View → Columns if it isn't visible. Sort by Kind to group all Intel processes together. Activity Monitor also finds background processes that aren't full applications, as Apple Stack Exchange noted last month.

For most individual users, System Information is sufficient. This step pays off during IT audits or when you have specific reason to believe Intel processes are running behind the scenes.

What to do with the apps you find

The right action depends on how critical each app is and whether a native build exists.

If an update is available, install it. Most widely used apps have been updated with native Apple silicon support, MacRumors noted this week. After a six-year transition period, the apps still showing up as Intel tend to be niche, abandoned, or enterprise-specific. Check the update channel before assuming an app is stranded.

If you use the app occasionally, find a replacement now. Apps you open a few times a year are the easiest to swap out. Waiting until macOS 28 forces the issue just compresses the decision under pressure.

If the app is business-critical, contact the developer directly. Ask explicitly about a native Apple silicon build and check their roadmap. Apple built the Golden Gate Intel-Based Apps list specifically to give users and developers time to find or build native alternatives before the deadline, MacRumors reported today.

If the app is embedded in a workflow you can't easily replace, staying on macOS Golden Gate is a viable short-term option. Rosetta remains fully functional there, and developers or organizations that still need Intel-only software can simply remain on macOS 27, as MacRumors noted this week. The tradeoff is deferring whatever macOS 28 brings, including security updates. Apple has confirmed Intel Macs receive three years of security updates after dropping from major releases, but no equivalent commitment has been stated for Apple silicon Macs held on an older release, MacRumors reported this week. Treat it as a bridge, not a destination.

On timing: run the audit before you install Golden Gate and before your organization plans its 2027 upgrade cycle. Knowing what's on the list is what makes every subsequent decision manageable.

What the Golden Gate list may miss: a note for IT and power users

The Intel-Based Apps view in System Settings covers the most visible category of affected software. It's less reliable for everything that lives below the surface.

For managed environments, the more urgent concern is authentication plugins and pre-login utilities. These fail in Golden Gate right now, before any macOS 28 deadline, because Rosetta isn't available at the login window, MacRumors reported today. Any Golden Gate deployment that skips this check risks locking users out.

For power users with complex setups, the Activity Monitor method described above is worth running once. Sorting by Kind in the CPU tab will surface Intel helper processes tied to apps that otherwise appear fine in System Information. It won't catch every edge case, but it closes the gap considerably.

The System Information approach on Tahoe is the most thorough of the three methods for installed apps. Running it before upgrading gives you a baseline to compare against after the upgrade completes.

Wrapping up

On Golden Gate: System Settings → General → About → Intel-Based Apps → Details. On Tahoe: System Information → Software → Applications, sorted by Kind. For background processes on either OS: Activity Monitor, CPU tab, Kind column.

Universal and Apple Silicon apps need nothing from you. Intel apps need a plan: update, replace, escalate to the developer, or stay on Golden Gate deliberately rather than by default. The label tells you which conversation to have next.

Golden Gate's public beta lands in July, with general release expected in September. That's real runway. Use it before the upgrade prompt appears on your machine, or before your fleet starts rolling out.