Rosetta 2’s Role Comes to a Close as Apple Finalizes the Intel-to-Silicon Transition

Following announcements at WWDC and an updated developer document, Apple has outlined a definitive end for Rosetta 2, its translation layer enabling Apple silicon Macs to run legacy Intel-based macOS applications. According to Apple’s documentation, Rosetta 2 will remain fully available through macOS 27, after which its functionality will be significantly curtailed starting with macOS 28.

Significance for Enthusiasts and Developers

For the Apple community, this marks a major milestone. Rosetta 2 was introduced alongside the first Apple silicon Macs (M1) in 2020, serving as a critical bridge between Intel’s x86 software ecosystem and Apple’s ARM-based architecture. The translation layer allowed Apple’s rapid chip transition without leaving long-tail desktop and pro applications behind. As reported by MacRumors and AppleInsider, Rosetta 2 provides translation mostly at install time, reducing runtime overhead compared to