macOS 27 is expected to be announced at WWDC in June 2026 and released publicly in autumn 2026. For most Mac users on Apple silicon, the upgrade will be straightforward. But if your Mac has any Intel-based apps, or if you're still running Intel hardware, there are steps worth taking now to avoid problems later. This guide covers what you need to check before upgrading.
Who this affects
Apple silicon Mac users (M1 or later): macOS 27 will install and run normally. The main consideration is whether any apps you rely on still require Rosetta to run. macOS 27 includes full Rosetta 2 support, so those apps will still work — but macOS 28 in 2027 will cut off general Rosetta support, so the clock is ticking.
Intel Mac users: macOS 27 will not be available for Intel-based hardware. macOS 26 Tahoe is the final release for Intel Macs. Your Mac will continue to receive security updates for macOS 26 for approximately two years, but you will not be able to upgrade to macOS 27 or later. If you are on Intel hardware and want to stay current with macOS, a hardware upgrade is required.
Step 1: Find out what chip your Mac has
If you're not sure whether your Mac is Intel or Apple silicon, open the Apple menu, choose About This Mac, and look at the chip or processor field.
- Apple M1, M2, M3, M4 (or any variant like M3 Pro, M4 Max): you have Apple silicon and can upgrade to macOS 27
- Intel Core i5, i7, i9, Xeon: you have an Intel Mac and cannot upgrade beyond macOS 26
Step 2: Check whether your Intel-based apps are ready
Even on an Apple silicon Mac, you may have apps that still run through Rosetta rather than natively. macOS 27 will work with these apps, but it's worth understanding your exposure before macOS 28 arrives.
The quickest way to find out is to use Rosetta Check, which scans your Mac and produces a complete list of every app requiring Rosetta. It also shows you native Apple silicon alternatives for each affected app, so you can start planning replacements.
Common apps that may still be Intel-only on your system include older printer and scanner drivers, legacy versions of creative tools, some older games, and niche utilities that haven't been updated in a few years.
Step 3: Update your apps before upgrading macOS
Before any major macOS upgrade, it's good practice to update all your applications to their latest versions. This is particularly important before macOS 27 because:
- Many apps have released native Apple silicon builds in recent months that may not have auto-updated
- App developers have been preparing for the macOS 27 transition and may have fixed compatibility issues in recent updates
- Running outdated versions of apps on a new macOS release can cause unexpected problems unrelated to Rosetta
Check the Mac App Store for updates, and for any apps installed outside the App Store, visit the developer's website directly.
Step 4: Back up before you upgrade
This applies to any major macOS upgrade but is worth repeating. Use Time Machine or your preferred backup solution to create a full backup before installing macOS 27. If any app or workflow breaks after the upgrade, a recent backup gives you options.
Step 5: Check your most critical workflows
Before upgrading your main machine, it's worth identifying the two or three apps you absolutely cannot be without for work. Search for those apps in the Rosetta Check community database to see whether native versions are available and what replacement options exist if needed. Upgrading a secondary Mac first, or waiting a few weeks after public release for the early adopters to surface any issues, is a sensible approach for anyone with business-critical workflows.
What will actually break in macOS 27?
Probably very little for most users. macOS 27 maintains full Rosetta 2 support, so Intel-based apps continue to work as they do today. The main things that will not work are:
- Intel Mac hardware itself cannot run macOS 27
- Any app that has a hard minimum macOS version requirement above macOS 27's supported range (rare and usually clearly communicated by developers)
The real breakage comes with macOS 28, not macOS 27. That distinction matters for planning — you have more time than the current media coverage might suggest.
The macOS 28 deadline to keep in mind
macOS 28 is expected in autumn 2027. After that release, Rosetta will only support a narrow subset of older games relying on specific Intel frameworks. General Intel-based apps will not run at all. Apple's support article Using Intel-based apps on a Mac with Apple silicon is the canonical reference for the official Rosetta timeline.
By the time you upgrade to macOS 27, your preparation window for macOS 28 is roughly one year. That's comfortable for most consumer users but tight for organisations with complex software estates. See what happens to your Intel apps in macOS 28 for the full breakdown.
For Intel Mac users: your options
If you're on Intel hardware and weighing your choices:
Stay on macOS 26. Your Mac continues to receive security updates for approximately two years. Most software will continue to work. The risk is that as app developers build for macOS 27 and later, some apps may drop support for macOS 26 before Apple stops issuing security patches.
Upgrade to Apple silicon. Even a base M1 Mac mini or MacBook Air from 2020 significantly outperforms most Intel Macs in both performance and battery life. The case for upgrading has never been stronger.
Virtualisation. For specific Intel-only software with no native replacement, running macOS 26 in a virtual machine on an Apple silicon Mac is a possible stopgap. This is primarily a developer and enterprise option rather than a consumer one.
Summary checklist
- Check your chip type in About This Mac
- Run Rosetta Check to see all Intel-based apps on your system
- Update all apps to their latest versions
- Identify and plan replacements for any Intel apps with no native version
- Back up before upgrading
- Consider waiting a few weeks after public release if you have critical workflows