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
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.

How to Identify 32-Bit Apps on Your Mac

  1. Click the Apple symbol () in the menu bar on your Mac's desktop.
    check for 32 bit mac apps4

  2. Click About This Mac.

  3. In the macOS Overview pane that appears, click the System Report... button.
    check for 32 bit mac apps1

  4. In the information window that appears, scroll down the left column and click Applications under the Software list, then wait a moment while your Mac generates a list of installed apps.

  5. When the list of apps appears, click the 64-Bit (Intel) label to bring any 32-bit apps to the top of the column.

  6. Drag down the divider using the center dot to expand the viewable list of apps.
    check for 32 bit mac apps2

Anything in the list that has a "Yes" under the 64-Bit column is good to go, but there are several in our example listed as "No", which means they're 32-Bit and will stop working in a future version of macOS.

check for 32 bit mac apps3
Some popular apps in the above list, like Steam and Google Music Manager, will likely have 64-bit versions available in good time, but other items – old Brother printer drivers and utilities, for example – may not survive a forthcoming upgrade, and it could be a while before developers issue 64-bit versions of said software (assuming it's even still actively supported), so as our example shows, it pays to plan ahead.

Top Rated Comments

Eidorian Avatar
89 months ago
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.
Some of us still use those abandoned programs.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
OldSchoolMacGuy Avatar
89 months ago
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.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Plutonius Avatar
89 months ago
If your app isn't 64-bit by now, it means the developer abandoned it years ago.
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).
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
bgpaglia Avatar
89 months ago
Soooo... I think that next MacOS version won't have the DVD player anymore o_O



Attachment Image
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
longofest Avatar
89 months ago
If your app isn't 64-bit by now, it means the developer abandoned it years ago.
Said by someone who is clearly not a developer.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
OldSchoolMacGuy Avatar
89 months ago
Said by someone who is clearly not a developer.
I've been a developer since the OS 7 days and helped to create some of the best known commercial utilities for Mac. Thanks though.

Are you actually saying people are actively developing 32-bit products for Mac to this day?
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro 34ths Perspective

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 10 New Features

Sunday March 23, 2025 10:00 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of March 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
iOS 18

iOS 18.4 Expected Next Week - Here Are the Release Notes

Friday March 28, 2025 2:01 pm PDT by
With the second release candidate of iOS 18.4 that Apple seeded out today, the company finally provided us with release notes that give a full rundown on what to expect. There's an Apple Vision Pro app, new Apple Intelligence features for notifications and additional language support, plus an Apple News Food feature for Apple News+ subscribers, and several updates that should improve the...
Magic Mouse Green

What to Expect From the Magic Mouse 3

Saturday March 29, 2025 10:15 am PDT by
Apple is reportedly working on a new Magic Mouse. Below, we recap what to expect. The two key rumors for the Magic Mouse 3 so far include a relocated charging port, along with a more ergonomic design. It was briefly rumored that the Magic Mouse 3 would also feature voice control, but that was misinterpreted information. Relocated Charging Port While the Magic Mouse switched from...
top stories 2025 03 29

Top Stories: WWDC 2025 Announced, iPhone 17 Pro and iOS 19 Rumors, and More

Saturday March 29, 2025 6:00 am PDT by
Apple's big developer event is a little over two months away, and rumors about what we can expect to see in Apple's next major operating system updates are becoming increasingly frequent. A public release of iOS 18.4 is also imminent with a number of updates and improvements, although we won't be getting the major Apple Intelligence Siri upgrades that had reportedly been planned for this...
Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature Homescreen

Six Things to Know About Apple's Upcoming Foldable iPhone

Friday March 28, 2025 3:54 pm PDT by
We've been hearing rumors about a foldable iPhone for almost a decade now, but it looks like we might finally see the device come to fruition in 2026. We're going to be waiting many more months for the foldable iPhone, but so far we're hearing good things. Apple wants to make it creaseless. It's taken Apple multiple years to design a foldable iPhone that it's satisfied with because Apple ...
iOS 19 visionOS UI Elements

Apple Codename Provides Clue About iOS 19's Rumored New Design

Sunday March 30, 2025 6:40 am PDT by
Multiple sources have claimed that iOS 19 will introduce a new design with more translucent buttons, menus, notification banners, and more, and there is now another clue that points towards this glass-like appearance. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today said the new design project is codenamed "Solarium" internally. A solarium is a room with glass walls that allow in plenty of sunlight, so this...
Facebook Feature

Facebook's New iPhone App Feature Turns the Clock Back to 2007

Thursday March 27, 2025 1:59 pm PDT by
In the mid-to-late 2000s, Facebook was all about staying connected with friends and family. However, as the social media platform added new features and grew over time, that core experience began to get drowned out. That changes starting now, according to Meta, which today introduced a new feature that will "bring back the joy" of classic Facebook. Specifically, Meta has redesigned the...
ipad pro 2024

Gurman: New iPad Pro and MacBook Pro Models With M5 Chips to Launch Later This Year

Sunday March 30, 2025 6:06 am PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPad Pro models with the M5 chip will "launch this year," according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In his Power On newsletter today, Gurman said the new iPad Pro models have progressed to an "advanced testing" stage, and he expects mass production of the devices to begin in the second half of this year. If that timeframe is met, the new iPad Pro models could launch...