Why macOS Tahoe is a big deal for Intel Macs
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Trevor Mogg Published June 9, 2025 |
Apple’s WWDC event kicked off on Monday with the usual slew of fresh announcements and updates showcasing the company’s software plans for the year ahead.
And as with every WWDC keynote, the upcoming shift to new software also signaled diminishing support for older Apple devices.
Case in point, Apple’s upcoming macOS 26 (aka macOS Tahoe) will be the final macOS release for Mac computers powered by Intel processors. The tech giant ditched Intel chips in favor of its own custom-designed Apple Silicon chips, starting with the M1 in 2020 before completing the transition in 2023.
Matthew Firlik, Apple’s senior director of developer relations, dropped the news during the WWDC Platforms State of the Union keynote on Monday.
Tahoe will actually be compatible with only four Intel Macs, which came out in 2019 and 2020, and the updated operating system will not run on Intel versions of the MacBook Air and Mac mini.
Specifically, macOS Tahoe will be compatible with:
– MacBook Air with Apple Silicon (2020 and later)
– MacBook Pro with Apple Silicon (2020 and later)
– MacBook Pro (16‑inch, 2019)
– MacBook Pro (13‑inch, 2020; four Thunderbolt 3 ports)
– iMac (2020 and later)
– Mac mini (2020 and later)
– Mac Studio (2022 and later)
– Mac Pro (2019 and later)
Furthermore, there are Mac machines that support macOS Sequoia (the current macOS version) but won’t be able to get macOS Tahoe, specifically:
– MacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2020)
– MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2018; four Thunderbolt 3 ports)
– MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2018)
– MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2019; four Thunderbolt 3 ports)
– MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2019)
– MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2019; two Thunderbolt 3 ports)
– MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2020; two Thunderbolt 3 ports)
– iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, 2019)
– iMac (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, 2019)
– iMac Pro (2017)
– Mac mini (2018)
Owners of Intel Macs can still expect to get security updates for their machines for some time to come, but access to new features in macOS 27 — set to launch next year — won’t be possible as compatibility will be limited to Apple Silicon devices.
Tahoe, which lands for the latest Mac computers this fall, introduces a major redesign featuring a new Liquid Glass translucent aesthetic; enhanced customization options for folders, app icons, and Control Center; a new Phone app for Mac with iPhone call integration; a major update to Spotlight; expanded Apple Intelligence capabilities including Live Translation and intelligent Shortcuts; and improved Continuity experiences to boost productivity and personalization across Mac and iPhone devices.
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