Curtains for old apps

Time to consider new apps — and new hardware

How the move away from 32-bit apps will affect you.

Apple has confirmed that the next version of macOS, 10.14 Mojave, will be the last to support 32-bit apps. Future versions will run only 64-bit apps. As of High Sierra 10.13.4, you’ll see an alert when you launch an older, 32-bit app, though it will still run. To check on all your apps, go to the Apple menu and select About This Mac, click the System Report button, then click Applications under Software in the left-hand panel. Once the list appears in the right-hand panel, scroll to the right to the “64-Bit” column; a “No” here means an app is 32-bit. Check with the developers for their update plans.

On mobile devices, iOS 11 already supports only 64-bit apps. However, Apple emphasized at WWDC that the forthcoming iOS 12 will work on every device that can run iOS 11 now. By contrast, macOS 10.14 Mojave will work on a smaller range of supported hardware than typical — officially only “Macs introduced in mid-2012 or later, plus 2010 and 2012 Mac Pro models with recommended Metal-capable graphics cards.”

This stipulation implies that the key requirement is a graphics processor powerful enough to support the headline graphics features in Mojave, such as Dark Mode, Dynamic Desktop, and Gallery View, the enhanced features in Quick Look, and possibly also FaceTime conference calls with up to 32 people.