FreeType
FreeType is an open-source font rasterisation library that converts outline font data (TrueType, PostScript, OpenType) into bitmap glyphs for display on screen. It is used as a low-level component by countless macOS applications and libraries that need to render text — including browsers, document viewers, graphics software, R packages, and system-level font rendering pipelines. FreeType is not an end-user application but rather a framework that other software links against to handle typography.
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1 suggestionFreeType is a framework component, not a standalone app, so it is not updated directly by end users. If you have installed FreeType manually via Homebrew or as part of another development environment, it should already be available in a native Apple Silicon build — the Homebrew formula has shipped native support since 2021. If you are encountering FreeType-related errors on an Apple Silicon Mac, the issue is most likely that an application or library that depends on FreeType was compiled for Intel and is still looking for the Intel version of the library. The remedy is to update or rebuild the parent application that requires FreeType, not FreeType itself. If you installed FreeType as a dependency for a development tool (R, Python, a graphics application, etc.), check that tool's documentation for Apple Silicon support and upgrade to a native version if available. If you manage FreeType via Homebrew, running brew upgrade freetype will fetch the native arm64 build automatically on Apple Silicon Macs.
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