Install Rosetta to Run Intel Apps on an Apple Silicon Mac

You try to open an app on an Apple silicon Mac (M1, M2, M3 or later) and macOS says the app “needs to be updated” or asks to install Rosetta — or the app simply won’t launch.

Why: Apps built for older Intel Macs use a different processor instruction set than Apple silicon. Rosetta is built into macOS and translates Intel-based apps so they run on your M-series Mac automatically, in the background. It isn’t an app you open — it just needs to be installed once.

Fix 1: Install Rosetta when an Intel app prompts you

This is how Apple expects most people to install it — you don’t go looking for it, the app triggers it.

1. Make sure your Mac is connected to the internet.
2. Open the Intel-based app you’re trying to use (double-click it as normal).
3. If Rosetta isn’t already installed, macOS shows an alert asking whether you want to install Rosetta. Click Install.
4. Enter your macOS user name and password to allow the installation, then let it finish.
5. Open and use the app as you normally would. From now on, that app — and any other Intel app — opens without prompting again.

You only have to do this once per Mac. After Rosetta is installed, it works silently for every Intel app.

Fix 2: Confirm whether an app even needs Rosetta

If you’re not sure an app is the Intel-based kind, you can check before assuming Rosetta is the issue.

1. Quit the app.
2. In the Finder, open your Applications folder.
3. Select the app, then choose File > Get Info (or press Command (⌘) + I).
4. Look at Kind:
   • Application (Universal) or Apple silicon — runs natively, no Rosetta needed.
   • Application (Intel) — needs Rosetta to run on your Mac.

For best performance and long-term compatibility, check the developer’s site for an Apple silicon (Universal) version and update to it when one exists. In most everyday cases, though, the speed difference under Rosetta isn’t noticeable.

FAQ

Where is Rosetta after I install it? Nowhere you can see — it’s not an app and has no icon. It runs automatically in the background to translate Intel apps. There’s nothing to open or launch.

Will Rosetta keep working in future macOS versions? Apple says Rosetta remains available through macOS 27. Starting with macOS 28, Rosetta will only work for certain older, unmaintained games that rely on Intel-based frameworks — so it’s best to move to Apple silicon (Universal) versions of your apps over time.

Is Rosetta safe and from Apple? Yes. It’s built into macOS by Apple. The install prompt that appears when you open an Intel app is the legitimate one — you don’t download Rosetta from anywhere else.

Sources: Apple Support — Using Intel-based apps on a Mac with Apple silicon