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These are Apple's new operating systems
by Samuel Buchmann
Apple will continue to support your Intel Mac for this long
11.6.2025
Translation: machine translated
The upcoming macOS Tahoe 26 will still support four computers with Intel chips. After that, there will be security updates until autumn 2028, after which Rosetta 2 and the Time Capsule will lose support.
On Monday, Apple presented the new macOS Tahoe at WWDC. At the same time, the Californians also announced how long Macs with Intel chips will continue to receive updates. The emulation tool «Rosetta 2» and the backup system «Time Capsule» now also have an expiry date.
MacOS Tahoe 26 will be the last operating system to support Intel chips. If you are one of the owners of the compatible models, you will get all the new features for the last time in autumn - such as the new Liquid Glass design and the improved Spotlight search. You will no longer be able to install MacOS 27, which is expected to be launched in autumn 2026. Tahoe will continue to receive security updates for another two years after that, i.e. until autumn 2028.
Source: Screenshot Apple Keynote
These four Intel Macs are according to Apple still compatible with macOS Tahoe:
- MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2019)
- MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2020, four Thunderbolt 3 ports)
- iMac (27 inch, 2020)
- Mac Pro (2019)
This also means that all older Intel Macs will no longer receive the new operating system this autumn, which has led to criticism: Apple still had certain versions of the 2018 Mac Mini in its official range until 2023. If you bought one of these at the end of the product cycle, you only received two macOS updates (Sonoma and Sequoia) and only four years of security updates.
Rosetta 2 until autumn 2027
Since Apple's switch to M chips, Rosetta 2 has automatically translated programmes from the old x86 architecture to the new Arm architecture. The translation layer will continue to receive updates until macOS 27. This means that all old applications should run on Macs with M chips by autumn 2027.
After that, Apple will withdraw support for Rosetta 2, even if the emulator remains available for certain apps - such as old games that require an Intel-based library. In general, however, developers should port their software to the new architecture by then.
Time Capsule useless from autumn 2026
If you still own a Time Capsule, you should start looking for a new backup solution. MacOS 27 will no longer support Time Machine backups via Apple's Airplay hard drives. Screenshots from the developer version of macOS Tahoe 26 show corresponding warnings.
Source: Shutterstock
The Time Capsule was a popular all-in-one solution for Wi-Fi and wireless backups. It was discontinued in 2018, but is probably still doing its job in many households today. However, it has long since been counted out because it is based on outdated network protocols. In release notes for the current macOS Sequoia, the Californians announced that they would gradually remove the Apple Filing Protocol (AFP).
Header image: Samuel Buchmann
Samuel Buchmann
Senior Editor
Samuel.Buchmann@digitecgalaxus.chMy fingerprint often changes so drastically that my MacBook doesn't recognise it anymore. The reason? If I'm not clinging to a monitor or camera, I'm probably clinging to a rockface by the tips of my fingers.
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