Mac Run 32 Bit Apps

Or you could keep the last MacOS that supports 32-bit apps, on a small external drive with your 32-bit apps. Boot it when you need to use those apps. I have dual drives in my 2011 Mac Mini.

When Apple launched macOS Mojave in 2018, it announced that it would be the last version of macOS that would support 32-bit applications. From Catalina onwards, you will no longer be able to run 2-bit apps and will have to upgrade to 64-bit versions or find alternatives.

What are 32-bit apps?

These applications date back to the days when computers ran on 32-bit processors and had 32-bit operating systems. While often described in terms of speed and power, the real difference between 32-bit and 64-bit whether it’s applications operating systems or CPUs, is the amount of memory they can address. 32-bit apps can only address 4GB of RAM, so that is the maximum amount of RAM they can use.

Why has Apple stopped supporting 32-bit apps

Apple has been using 64-bit processors in Macs for well over a decade and macOS has been 64-bit since Snow Leopard, so it was only a matter of time before the Mac became 64-bit only. That time is now. Apple believes that the apps most people use most of the time are 64-bit and those that haven’t made the leap have good 64-bit alternatives.

It has also provided plenty of warning. When you open a 32-bit app in Mojave or High Sierra for the first time, you are warned that it is 32-bit and that you should update it. That warning then appears again every month or so.

By dropping support for 32-bit apps, Apple can fully optimize macOS Catalina for 64-bit apps and focus its resources on supporting those. Uninstall google app launcher macbook.

Is my app 32-bit or 64-bit?

When you upgrade to Catalina, you’ll be shown a list of any 32-bit apps you have installed and that will no longer work. If you want to check before then, you have two options: one very easy and the other a little more complicated. We’ll start with the manual, more complicated method.

  1. Click on the Apple logo at the top of the screen.
  2. Choose About this Mac.
  3. Select System Report at the bottom of the window.
  4. Click on Applications and scroll to the right until you see the column headed ’64-bit’.
  5. Apps that have a yes in the column are 64-bit and will work, those with a ‘No’ are 32-bit and won’t work.

There is an easier way to check, and it’s the one I recommend because it will allow you to upgrade 32-bit apps to their 64-bit versions at the press of a button. It uses the Updater utility in CleanMyMac X — a cool program by MacPaw — and it’s so simple to use. Here’s how:

  1. Install, and launch CleanMyMac X — it’s free to download
  2. In the app, click on the Uninstaller tab

Now, press the “32-bit” tag in the sidebar on the left

You will see the list of your apps that will not be supported on Catalina. Some of them may already have 64-bit versions available. So instead of updating each app separately and wasting time browsing, just put the cursor on the tab below called “Updater”

Check the box next to each of the apps and press Update. The most recent versions of all the apps displayed will be installed, including 64-bit versions where they’re available.

How can I keep running 32-bit apps on macOS Catalina?

If you have 32-bit apps that you depend on and absolutely can’t use another app, and there is no 64-bit version available, you have three options.

  1. Don’t upgrade to Catalina. If you carry on using Mojave, or whatever version of macOS you’re using, you will be able to keep using 32-bit apps. However, it’s unlikely that the developer of those apps will continue to update them once Catalina is launched, as fewer and fewer people will use them. For example, shortly after Apple announced Catalina, games developer Aspyr announced that it would no longer sell 32-bit games. You will also be missing out on all of the benefits of Catalina.
  2. Upgrade to Catalina on your main Mac but keep another Mac running an older version of macOS. This relies on you having more than one Mac, of course. But it does mean you can enjoy the new features in Catalina and still use your old 32-bit apps. However, the same thing applies as above: your 32-bit apps are unlikely to be supported and updated for long. That includes security and compatibility updates.
  3. Run Mojave in a virtual machine, such as VMWare Fusion.

What else is affected by dropping support for 32-bit?

Some media file formats won’t make the transition to 64-bit. Most of these were created using formats or codecs that rely on QuickTime 7, according to Apple. The QuickTime 7 framework is included in Mojave and its predecessors, but won’t be there in Catalina, so formats created with it won’t work. Apple has a full list of affected formats here.

That means some Final Cut Pro and Motion projects won’t be compatible. However, if you open a project with a 32-bit format, you will see a warning and will be able to convert the library to a 64-bit compatible format at the click of a button. You will also be able to convert Final Cut libraries at any time from the File menu by choosing Check Media for Compatibility. And you can convert files in Compressor.

Dropping support for 32-bit apps in macOS Catalina is part of a long transition from 32-bit to 64-bit that started with hardware and then with the OS in Snow Leopard. Apple has been supporting both for many years but has decided the time is now right to become a 64-bit only operating system. Fortunately, most apps have already migrated to 64-bit and you can update all your apps at once using CleanMyMac X’s Updater. For apps that don’t have a 64-bit version, you need to decide whether to find an alternative or not upgrade to Catalina.

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When Apple announced in 2017 that macOS High Sierra would be the last version of the Mac operating system to support 32-bit applications without limitations, that seemed to spell the beginning of the end for those apps on the Mac. And when it launched macOS Mojave beta in June 2018, it reinforced that message, saying that Mojave would be the last version to support 32-bit apps in any way. Most 32-bit apps still work, however, while others have been or will soon be updated. A third group have other problems with Mojave that mean they won’t run properly and have not been updated, their developers preferring to allow them to reach a natural end of life on the Mac.

Will macOS Mojave support 32 bit apps?

If you still run 32-bit apps and are running High Sierra or Mojave, you will probably have seen warnings telling you that the app is not optimized for the version of the OS you’re running. Most 32-bit apps still run fine, others will struggle. So, the answer to the question ‘will macOS Mojave run 32 bit apps’ is that it very much depends on the app. Technically, 32 bit apps in Mojave will run but with some limitations on what they are able to do.

How do I know which apps are 32-bit?

There’s a very simple way to find out which of the apps installed on your Mac are 32-bit.

1. Click on the Apple menu and choose About this Mac

2. Press System Report…

3. Scroll down to the software section and click on Applications

4. Enlarge the window so you can see all the columns

5. Grab the bar that divides the list of apps and the description text and drag it down so you can see more of the list

6. Go through the list and look at the ’64-bit’ column

7. If you see any ‘No’s in the column, those apps are 32-bit

What do I do if I find 32-bit apps in Mojave?

You could do nothing, after all 32-bit apps will still run in Mojave. Or you could launch each one to see how it runs. But you will need to take action soon, especially if you rely on those apps, because they won’t run in future versions of macOS.

The best course of action is to check if there are updates available for any app you find that is 32-bit. There are two ways to do this, the fast way and the slow way.

How to find 32-bit apps in Mojave: the fast way

CleanMyMac X can scan all the applications on your Mac and check for updates automatically. It then allows you to view the updates and, with one-click install each one.

1. Launch CleanMyMac X

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2. Click on the Updater module

3. Press View all updates and view an app

4. Select Update

How to find 32-bit apps in Mojave: the slow way

1. Open each 32-bit app, one at a time

Find 32 Bit Apps Mac

2. Click its name in the menu bar

3. Choose Check for Updates

4. Install any updates it finds

5. Repeat for the next 32-bit app

What if there’s no update?

If there’s no 64-bit version of an app you use regularly, check the developer’s website to find out if they plan to release one before September 2019. If not, it’s time to find a replacement for the app. In many cases, the developer will have released a completely new version of the app, or a replacement for it, and you’ll have to purchase that separately. In other cases, you’ll need to find a completely new app to use.

Once you’ve replace the app, it’s a good idea to uninstall the 32-bit version from your Mac, to free up space and reduce the chance of conflicts. You can do this manually, by going through folders in your Mac’s Library and tracking down every file associated with the app. Or you can use the Uninstaller module in CleanMyMac which will remove every trace of an app with on click.

Which well known apps are affected?

Quite a number of apps from big developers like Apple, Microsoft, and Adobe will stop working when macOS stops running 32-bit apps altogether. Here are a few of them:

Apple

  • Aperture
Mac Run 32 Bit Apps

The last version of Aperture, which was replaced with Photos, was released in 2014 and is 64-bit so may run without a problem. However, older versions are 32-bit and won’t run at all once macOS stops supporting those apps completely.

  • iWork

The first 32-bit version of iWork was iWork 13, so if you’re running an older version, it won’t work after September 2019. The good news is that the current iWork apps are free to download from the App Store.

  • Final Cut Pro and Logic Studio

Apple’s professional video and audio tools were superseded by Final Cut Pro X and Logic Pro X in 2011. If you’re still running the older versions, now is the time to move on. There is one thing to note, however. Many of the apps that used to come bundled with both Final Cut and Logic Studio were never updated. These include DVD Studio Pro, Soundtrack Pro, Cinema Tools, and Color. So, if you’re still running older versions of those apps, you’ll need to find replacements.

Microsoft

Office 2011 is a 32-bit application and won’t run once macOS stops supporting 32-bit apps altogether. Office 2016 was updated to 64-bit in 2016. If you have an Office 365 subscription, you can update Office 2016 through that, if necessary. If you bought the standalone version of 2016 and are still running the 32-bit version, you can download an update from Microsoft’s website or by using CleanMyMac’s Updater module.

  • Adobe

All Creative Cloud versions of Adobe apps are 64-bit and so if you have a Creative Cloud subscription you won’t have any problems with Mojave or future versions of macOS. If you’re still running CS 5 or CS 6 versions of Adobe applications, compatibility varies on an application by application basis.

Photoshop CS 5 is 64-bit but there have been many reported compatibility problems with Mojave. CS6 seems to work fine with the latest version of macOS. Illustrator CS5 is 32-bit so, at the very least, you should update it to CS 6 if you can. InDesign wasn’t updated to 64-bit until Creative Cloud, so if you’re running CS 5 or CS 6 you should update to Creative Cloud before September 2019. Premiere Pro has been 64-bit since CS4 and After Effects since CS5, so as long as you are using those versions or later, you should be ok. Lightroom has been 64-bit since Lightroom 2.

Run 32 Bit Apps Mac Os Catalina

Other notable apps

  • Ableton Live 10

According to the company, Live 10 is not yet fully Mojave compatible. It says on on its website: ‘ We advise users to wait until a fully compatible version of Live is released before updating to macOS Mojave.’

  • Avid Media Composer

Avid says that Media Composer is not ‘“supported” on Mojave currently. That doesn’t mean that it won’t work, but it does mean the company is aware of several issues.

  • Avid Pro Tools

The hugely popular audio production tool is another one of Avid’s products that company says is not currently supported on macOS Mojave.

  • Avid Sibelius

Like Pro Tools and Media Composer, Avid says it is aware of issues with its Sibelius musical score editor and Mojave and advises against running it on Apple’s latest operating system.

  • Ecamm Call Recorder for FaceTime

This popular app, that allows you to record FaceTime calls for, say, interviews or podcasts doesn’t work with Mojave. Ecamm says that Apple has tightened up security and made changes to FaceTime that mean Call Recorder will no longer work.

  • Endnote

Mac Run 32 Bit Apps On Catalina

The company says of versions X7, X8, and X9: “Through our testing and reports from users, we discovered some issues with the EndNote PDF viewer that existed with macOS High Sierra have persisted with macOS Mojave.” It adds that Endnote X6 is not “officially compatible” with Mojave at all.

  • Extensis Suitcase Fusion 8

Mac Run 32 Bit Apps In Windows 7

Suitcase Fusion 8 is currently a 32-bit application and the company says: “ Extensis is working to make its applications 64-bit compatible for all future macOS updates and will provide public updates as soon as they are available.” It also said in a support post that if users dismiss the “not optimized” warning, it should work as normal. Obviously, that won’t be the case in future versions of macOS, which will only run 64-bit applications.

  • Propellerhead Reason 9.5.4 and earlier

The company advises users running earlier versions of its audio creation tool to update to version 10.2.

While macOS Mojave will run 32-bit applications, it does so with limitations. Those limitations depend on the application you’re trying to run. Most developers have already released 64-bit versions of their apps and it’s a good idea to upgrade to them now. When you do, you can use CleanMyMac to quickly identify which apps on your Macs have updates available and to uninstall the 32-bit versions you no longer need.

32 Bit Games On Mac

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