macOS 27 Golden Gate Arrives With Apple Silicon Only, Ending Intel MacBook Support

According to Engadget, Golden Gate is the first macOS release that draws a hard line at the start of the Apple silicon era, and every Mac using an Intel chip is incompatible. In practice, MacBooks from 2021 or later can install the new system. Two 2020 models are also supported: the M1 versions of the MacBook Pro and the MacBook Air. Owners who are unsure which machine they have can click the Apple menu at the top-left of the screen and choose About This Mac. A listing that reads Chip followed by an M-series processor such as M3 indicates Apple silicon, while Intel Macs show Processor followed by a CPU model such as Intel Core i5.

Golden Gate brings a set of changes to the Mac. Engadget reports that the most prominent is an AI-centric overhaul of Siri intended to make the assistant more useful in everyday tasks. The release also introduces a more customizable version of the Liquid Glass interface, AI photo editing tools, automatic tab organization in Safari and general performance improvements. The update takes up significantly more space than macOS 26 Tahoe, so users may need to free up storage before installing it, provided their device can run it at all.

The end of Intel support has been in preparation since Apple began moving the Mac away from Intel hardware in 2020. Engadget cites a former Intel engineer who said the shift may have been driven partly by a desire for more in-house technology and partly by worsening quality assurance on Intel's Skylake line. For owners of older MacBooks, Golden Gate being the first Apple silicon-only macOS release is the final step in that transition.

Intel users are not immediately without software updates. If Apple's recent support timelines continue, macOS Tahoe will receive two more years of security updates, which would cover Intel Macs through September 2028. After that point, upgrading becomes the only option. Engadget notes that the arrangement gives six-year-old computers a current software release, describing Apple's support for older hardware as strong.