Following the release of Apple’s M1 chip, many apps have been updated to ensure that they’re optimized to run on the new Macs. Thanks to Apple’s Rosetta 2, even if your apps haven’t received any updates, M1 Macs can still run them. But, how do you know which apps are actually optimized for M1 Apple Silicon Macs? Read on to find out!
What you Need to Know About Universal Apps
Before finding out which apps are optimized, you need to understand what Universal apps are.
Basically, developers use a tool called Universal binary whenever they update their apps to run natively on Apple silicon models. On top of that, the latest version of this tool is called Universal 2, which was released at the WWDC event earlier this year.
So, if an app hasn’t been updated to Universal 2, it will show different information in the System Report. And, this is the only thing that helps us check which apps are optimized for M1 Macs right now.
Best Ways to Find Out Which Apps are Optimized for M1 Apple Silicon Macs
Follow these step to check which apps are optimized on your M1 Mac:
1.Click on the Apple symbol in the top-left corner of the menu bar.
2.Then, choose About This Mac.
3.In the “Overview” tab, click the “System Report…” button.
4.Here, select Software -> Applications in the sidebar.
5. In the Applications list on the right, look at the Kind column to see whether an app is a Universal or not.
Additionally, you can check individual apps by using “Finder”:
- Open Finder on your Dock or by pressing Command–N while you have the desktop selected.
- Right-click on the app’s icon you want to check.
- Select Get Info from the contextual menu.
- Then, look at its Kind under “General“.
Check M1 Compatibility for Your Mac Apps with Free Open-Source Tool
You can use the free Silicon app from iMazing to check if your Mac apps are compatible with M1 models. To do this, drag and drop any apps or folders into the app’s user interface to check for compatibility. You can find the free download for Silicon app on iMazing’s website here.
How to Check Which Apps are Optimized Before Downloading
Thanks to a website called “Is Apple silicon ready“, now you can also check if an app is optimized for your M1 Macs before installing it. The site has an up-to-date database of apps that are supported by the M1 models. Just simple input the app you want to check for compatibility.
It’s worth noting that Rosetta is just a temporary solution for developers who want to update their existing Intel-based programs for the new Arm-based Macs. So, if an app doesn’t have any new updates in the future, it may become unusable on Apple’s ‌M1‌ machines eventually.
Don’t forget to share with us how your experience with M1 Mac has been so far in the comments!
