A little backstory on the Rosetta seriesĪpple’s first Rosetta translation software was introduced back in 2006 when the Macs were undergoing a transition from PowerPC processors to Intel. If an app or plugin only contains Intel instructions, Apple’s M1 Mac automatically launches Rosetta and translates the x86 code into native commands, which is then launched instead of the original. It translates the apps when you install them so that they can launch immediately and be instantly responsive.”

“Rosetta 2 automatically translates existing Mac apps so they work on the new Macs with Apple Silicon chips. Rosetta 2 essentially translates instructions written for Intel processors into commands that Apple’s ARM processor can understand. Rosetta 2 is a translation software developed by Apple that bridges the transition from Intel to ARM and enables M1 powered Macs with the ARM processor to run previous-gen Intel x86 apps.Īpple introduced Rosetta 2 to help both Mac admins and developers ease the process of shifting to the new M1 Macs, and ensure that the apps supported by previous-gen Intel Macs were compatible with the new ARM-based silicon Macs.Ī Mac admin configuring an M1 powered Mac What does Rosetta 2 do? This is where the need for Apple’s Rosetta 2 software comes in. These new Macs by default, could not run previous-gen Intel x86 apps on their ARM processors. With the introduction of the new M1 Macs, Mac admins and developers found themselves in the middle of a fix to make previous-gen apps compatible with the new Apple Silicon Macs. For the past decade, macOS apps were built to run on the Intel core processors. However, Apple’s new silicon Macs brought forth a slightly unprecedented concern. Senior vice president of Hardware Technologies, Apple “With its unique combination of remarkable performance, powerful features, and incredible efficiency, M1 is by far the best chip we’ve ever created.”

After 14 years of producing Macs with the intel core series processors, the M1 chip marked the beginning of a new and improved generation of Macs. A strong and decisive move away from conventional Intel processors for their macOS devices, to their personally curated ARM-based silicon processors, the Apple M1 chip. On November 10 2020, Apple CEO Tim Cook made his mark on history by announcing a bold new path for the company.

Install rosetta on mac