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How to Learn Which Apps Will Stop Working on Your Mac When 32-Bit Support Ends

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Apr 12, 2001
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Apple has begun the process of phasing out 32-bit applications on Macs, which is why many users who upgraded to macOS 10.13.4 or later will have come across the following warning message the first time they launch certain older apps.

32-bit-app-warning-message-mac-800x337.jpg

This is the first of many warnings Apple plans to provide as it works to put an end to 32-bit apps on the Mac, as it did on iOS devices with the release of iOS 11. Apple has confirmed that macOS 10.14 Mojave, set for public release in the fall, will be the last version of macOS to allow 32-bit apps to run, but it will include more "aggressive" warnings about their use before they are phased out entirely.

In this article, we'll show how you can quickly find out which apps installed on your Mac are 64-bit and which are still living in the 32-bit age. If you don't rely on apps that fall in the latter camp, you can safely uninstall them. However, if you're a frequent user of one of these apps, try contacting the developer to find out if a 64-bit version is in the works. If one isn't planned, try and find an alternative app with similar functionality before the time comes when it refuses to launch.
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Article Link: How to Learn Which Apps Will Stop Working on Your Mac When 32-Bit Support Ends
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/how-to/identify-32-bit-apps-mac/
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OldSchoolMacGuy said:
If your app isn't 64-bit by now, it means the developer abandoned it years ago...
Click to expand...

That's not completely true. For example, I know that the http://boxerapp.com/ developers are making progress on a 64-bit version of their DOS environment emulator. Some game developers have had difficulties with the Unity platform kicking out macOS 64-bit executables in the past (https://steamcommunity.com/app/512900/discussions/0/3211505894113209580/) - but it sounds like those bugs may have been fixed.

Contact the devs of your favorite 32-bit apps - ask nicely what their plans for 64-bit versions. Even if they say they have no plans to upgrade, if enough people ask, they may change their minds.
 
OldSchoolMacGuy said:
If your app isn't 64-bit by now, it means the developer abandoned it years ago.
Click to expand...

Please don't generalize. I have MacOS applications that are updated on regular basis that are not 64 bit. The issue is that some of the GUI libraries (third party) are not 64 bit and will never be updated. This means a lot of work for the application developer and some will not be willing to make their current applications 64 bit (it's not worth it for them).
 
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Great tip! That list is like a trip back in time. Apps I installed in 10.6 are still lurking in the darkest alleys of my SSD. :p I will go and delete them one by one. No mercy! 3:)
 
Some great apps that are 32 bit, and probably won't get 64 bit support:
  • MPEG Streamclip
  • Nestopia
  • Photorescue
  • Audacity
  • Boxer
While there are currently alternatives, they are almost all paid, while these are free.
 
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OldSchoolMacGuy said:
If your app isn't 64-bit by now, it means the developer abandoned it years ago.

It'll be nice to be 64-bit only. Means slimming down application packages for some.
Click to expand...

That doesn't seem to be entirely true though, I just checked my system and most of the 32bit items probably fit that bucket but there were a few big names in that list that definitely are under active development.
 
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I registered to make this comment. I OWN a copy of Adobe Creative Suites 6 and frequently use InDesign for documents used by a non-profit for which i volunteer. Needless to say Adobe will not be upgrading this software simply because it wants me and everyone else to pay a monthly fee to use their software in the cloud. I'm not a professional graphic designer, so paying Adobe hundreds of dollars a year is painful to say the least. Just saying that for all the promise of a beautiful future if we simply follow Apple down the garden path is not necessarily a good thing for all of us in all situations. If someone believes this is a silly problem, we'd welcome a hefty donation to make moving to the new world easier. A perpetual grant of $500 a year should solve the problem. Any takers?
 
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baryon said:
Some great apps that are 32 bit, and probably won't get 64 bit support:
  • MPEG Streamclip
  • Nestopia
  • Photorescue
  • Audacity
  • Boxer
While there are currently alternatives, they are almost all paid, while these are free.
Click to expand...
Photorescue isn't free, but its the best recovery app.
 
OldSchoolMacGuy said:
If your app isn't 64-bit by now, it means the developer abandoned it years ago.
Click to expand...

Not at all. The Amazon Kindle App, for instance, was updated last week, but still appears (curiously enough) to be a 32-bit app. I'm guessing they rely on a third-party dependency that has yet to be updated.

Regardless, folks use a lot of apps that developers abandoned long ago. They've worked well for years; why change what isn't broken? (In fact, Apple's own DVD Player is still 32-bit; Apple obviously sees no need for it, but many folks with external DVD players or 2010 MBPs still do).

Regardless, I don't have a problem with Apple dragging people users and screaming toward the third decade of the 21st Century: Cutting the dead weight is part of what has historically allowed Apple to innovate faster than competitors who maintain legacy support far beyond its usefulness for the majority of users.
 
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As mentioned here, games will be a big problem. While many apps get continuous updates over the years, games are mostly released once and maybe have the occasional bug patch, but no further development. Yet they remain popular with their users often used 5, 10 or even 20 years after its release.
I guess emulation will be the way to go for them.

EDIT: Took a look once I got home, and at my installation it's only either Apple's own apps, like the DVD-player and Quicklook that are 32-bit or games. And as mentioned, Steam is still 32-bit but I'd say that's a safe bet it'll be updated.
 
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OldSchoolMacGuy said:
If your app isn't 64-bit by now, it means the developer abandoned it years ago.

It'll be nice to be 64-bit only. Means slimming down application packages for some.
Click to expand...

Not true. Adobe Acrobat 2017 is itself a 64-bit application, but several of the related Adobe executables that install with it (like the registration notifier and the updater) are 32-bit.
 
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newellj said:
Not true. Adobe Acrobat 2017 is itself a 64-bit application, but several of the related Adobe executables that install with it (like the registration notifier and the updater) are 32-bit.
Click to expand...

And it's someone other than Adobe's fault that they've failed to update their apps as they should? If their related executables are still in 32-bit, it's clear they haven't cared enough to update them in years. Sounds like you need to be upset with the app's developer, not Apple.
 
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