At WWDC 2017, Apple told developers that macOS High Sierra will be the last macOS release to support 32-bit apps without any compromise. And now with macOS High Sierra 10.13.4 beta, Apple is also notifying users of the imminent change.
EDIT 2nd of September 2019 macOS Catalina will kill your 32-bit apps
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In the beta release notes, Apple states: “To prepare for a future release of macOS in which 32-bit software will no longer run without compromise, starting in macOS High Sierra 10.13.4, a user is notified on the launch of an app that depends on 32-bit software. The alert appears only once per app.”
This will not only apply to apps found in the Mac App Store, but also outside 3rd party apps. So if you rely solely on Mac App Store apps, it’s a pretty safe bet that all ( still ) 32-bit apps will be updated accordingly.
But it might be a good idea to be prepared when it comes to apps distributed outside the Mac App Store. Meaning that you might want to contact the developers and see if they plan to update to 64-bit. Or start finding alternatives.
Luckily there’s an easy way to quickly check which apps are 32-bit.
1. In the menu bar go to > About This Mac
2. Click on “System Report…”
3. Go to Software > Applications and wait a few seconds for your Mac to compile a list of all your installed apps. Now check the 64-bit header for each app.
- Yes = 64-bit app
- No = 32-bit app
