Apple's newest Mac operating system, macOS 27 Golden Gate, has arrived, but owners of Intel-based MacBooks will not be able to install it. The release is the first version of macOS that runs only on Apple silicon, drawing a firm line at the start of that hardware era. Anyone whose Mac uses an Intel chip is shut out of the update entirely, according to Engadget. Those users may remain on macOS 26 Tahoe indefinitely.
For most recent buyers, the news is simpler. MacBooks released in 2021 or later can run Golden Gate. Two models from 2020 are also supported: the M1 versions of the MacBook Pro and the MacBook Air. Owners who are unsure which chip their machine uses can check by opening the Apple menu at the top-left of the screen and selecting About This Mac. A listing for Chip followed by an M-series processor such as M3 indicates Apple silicon, while a listing for Processor followed by a CPU model such as Intel Core i5 indicates an Intel machine.
Golden Gate brings a set of new features to compatible Macs. The most prominent is an AI-centric overhaul of Siri intended to make the digital assistant more useful for everyday tasks. The release also adds a more customizable version of Liquid Glass, AI photo editing tools, and automatic tab organization in Safari. Apple has included general performance enhancements as well, and the operating system takes up significantly more space than Tahoe, which may require users to free up storage before installing it.
The end of Intel support is not a surprise. Apple's transition away from Intel hardware has been underway since 2020. A former Intel engineer has said the shift may have been driven partly by a desire for more in-house technology and partly by increasingly bad quality assurance with Intel's Skylake line, according to Engadget. For owners of older MacBooks, Golden Gate being the first Apple silicon-only macOS release is the final step in that transition.
Support for the previous release will continue for a while. If Apple's recent support timelines hold, macOS Tahoe will receive two more years of security updates, covering Intel Mac owners through September 2028. After that point, those users will need to upgrade their hardware. Alongside six-year-old computers receiving the latest software update, the source described Apple's support for older hardware as strong.
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