Mac
Intel app won't open after macOS 27: Rosetta not restored
macOS 27 does not automatically restore Rosetta after upgrade. Check an Intel app, install Rosetta from Apple's prompt if needed, and plan for macOS 28.
Problem summary
If an Intel app asks for Rosetta after the macOS 27 upgrade, that is expected: Apple says Rosetta is not automatically restored. macOS can offer to install it when you open the app, so an upgrade does not mean every Intel app is permanently broken. Check the app's Kind, accept Apple's install prompt or use Apple's softwareupdate command, then retry. If Rosetta already works, investigate the app itself. Apple also says general Intel app compatibility ends with macOS 27, with a legacy-game exception in its macOS 28 plan.
Get Info on the app and read Kind.
pkgutil --pkg-info com.apple.pkg.RosettaUpdateAuto
Kind says Intel.
Only install Rosetta from Apple.
Layer path
Step-by-step runbook
Start here. Do each check in order, compare it to the expected result, and stop when the evidence explains the failure or the safe stop point applies.
Check the app's Kind
Check: Get Info → Kind.
Expected result: Kind says Intel.
If not: If not Intel, check Gatekeeper instead.
Prove Rosetta is missing
Check: Run the `pkgutil` receipt check and the `arch -x86_64` test.
Expected result: No receipt and Bad CPU type.
If not: If both pass, Rosetta is fine; contact the developer.
Install Rosetta
Check: Accept the app's prompt or run `the "Install Rosetta" command below`.
Expected result: Install completes; both checks now pass.
If not: Fix the network path if the download fails.
Safe stop: Only install Rosetta from Apple.
Reopen the app
Check: Open the Intel app.
Expected result: It opens.
If not: Ask the developer if it still fails.
Safe stop: Don't lower security settings to load Intel drivers.
Plan for macOS 28
Check: List Intel apps and find a Universal or Apple silicon replacement for each.
Expected result: Every Intel app has a replacement path.
If not: Keep the Mac on macOS 27 until the last one is replaced.
Decision tree
If: The app is Intel and `pkgutil` has no Rosetta receipt.
Then: Rosetta was not restored by the macOS 27 upgrade.
Action: Install Rosetta from the app's prompt or with `softwareupdate --install-rosetta --agree-to-license`.
If: Rosetta is installed and the `arch -x86_64` test passes, but the app still won't open.
Then: The app depends on something Rosetta can't translate, or has its own bug.
Action: Contact the developer; look for an Apple silicon version or replacement.
Safe stop: Don't disable System Integrity Protection to load an Intel kernel extension.
If: The app is Universal or Apple Silicon.
Then: Rosetta is not involved.
Action: Check Gatekeeper and quarantine with the app is damaged runbook.
If: `softwareupdate` can't download Rosetta.
Then: Network path to Apple is blocked.
Action: Turn off content filters or DNS blocking for the install, then retry.
Safe stop: Don't install Rosetta from third-party downloads.
If: You rely on Intel-only apps with no Apple silicon version.
Then: They stop working on macOS 28.
Action: Replace them, or keep that Mac on macOS 27 until you do.
Evidence table
| Symptom | Evidence to collect | Likely layer | Next action |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intel app bounces and quits after the 27 update. | Get Info Kind: Intel; `pkgutil` shows no Rosetta receipt. | Rosetta not restored. | Install Rosetta. |
| Old Intel command-line tools fail with a CPU error. | `arch -x86_64 /usr/bin/true` prints `Bad CPU type in executable`. | No Rosetta translation. | Install Rosetta. |
| Rosetta install fails. | `softwareupdate --install-rosetta` reports a download error. | Network or content filter. | Fix the network path and retry. |
| App still fails with Rosetta installed. | `arch -x86_64` test passes; app still quits. | Intel driver, plugin, or app bug. | Contact the developer. |
Commands and settings paths
Check for the Rosetta receipt
pkgutil --pkg-info com.apple.pkg.RosettaUpdateAuto
Where: Terminal on the Mac.
Expected: Prints the package version when Rosetta is installed.
Failure means: `No receipt for 'com.apple.pkg.RosettaUpdateAuto' found` means it is missing.
Safe next step: Install Rosetta.
Test Intel translation
/usr/bin/arch -x86_64 /usr/bin/true
Where: Terminal on the Mac.
Expected: Returns silently.
Failure means: `Bad CPU type in executable` means Rosetta is not available.
Safe next step: Install Rosetta, then run it again.
Install Rosetta
softwareupdate --install-rosetta --agree-to-license
Where: Terminal on the Mac, online.
Expected: The install completes and the receipt check prints a version.
Failure means: A download error means Apple's servers can't be reached.
Safe next step: Fix the network path and retry.
List Intel-only apps
system_profiler SPApplicationsDataType | grep -B6 'Kind: Intel'
Where: Terminal on the Mac.
Expected: Lists each Intel-only app with its version.
Failure means: No output means no Intel-only apps were found.
Safe next step: Plan a replacement for each listed app before macOS 28.
Hardware and platform boundary
Change only when
- Paid upgrades to Universal or Apple silicon versions of apps you depend on, before macOS 28.
- Replacing hardware whose only driver is Intel-only, since Rosetta does not load drivers.
Evidence that matters
- Universal or Apple Silicon in the app's Kind.
- A developer who still ships updates.
Evidence that does not matter
- Rosetta performance — it only buys time until macOS 28.
Avoid
- Buying new Intel-only software for an Apple silicon Mac.
- Upgrading to macOS 28 with an irreplaceable Intel app still in use.
Related problems
Last reviewed
2026-09-18 · Reviewed by HomeTechOps. Written for the macOS 27.0 (26A428) release. The not-restored-on-upgrade and works-through-27 facts are quoted from Apple's macOS 27 update notes, and the macOS 28 Intel cutoff from Apple's macOS 27 release notes, both read 2026-09-15. The receipt and arch-test outputs were checked on a macOS 27.0 Mac without Rosetta. No unofficial installer or security downgrade is suggested.
Sources/assumptions
- Assumes an Apple silicon Mac upgraded to macOS 27.0 Golden Gate (build 26A428, shipped 2026-09-14). Intel Macs can't install macOS 27.
- Apple's macOS 27 update notes state Rosetta will not be automatically restored upon upgrading to macOS 27 and continues as a general-purpose compatibility tool through macOS 27 (read 2026-09-15).
- Apple's macOS 27 release notes state all Intel-based software will no longer be compatible with macOS 28.0, excluding legacy games (read 2026-09-15).
- The `pkgutil` 'No receipt' output and the `arch -x86_64` 'Bad CPU type in executable' failure were checked on a macOS 27.0 Mac without Rosetta, 2026-09-15.
Source-backed checks
HomeTechOps turns official docs and conservative safety rules into a shorter runbook. These links are the source trail for the page direction.