Apple Is Finally Letting Some Mac Apps Drop Intel

Apple just made one part of the Mac transition a lot less theoretical.

In the June 18, 2026 App Store Connect release notes, Apple says developers can now drop support for Intel-based Mac computers if a universal macOS app has a minimum system version of 13 or later. The instruction is very direct: remove the x86_64 architecture, then upload and submit the build to the Mac App Store. App Store Connect release notes

That is a small note.

It is also a useful one.

For a while, "should we still carry Intel?" has felt like one of those questions that drifts around Mac projects without ever quite becoming urgent. Apple's update does not answer that for every app. But it does remove one excuse for not asking.

Apple's WWDC26 App Store guide pushes in the same direction. It says Universal Purchases on the Mac App Store no longer need to support Intel, and that dropping Intel support can simplify development by eliminating the need to maintain multiple builds. Apple also adds one important guardrail: before dropping Intel in App Store Connect, make sure the app supports macOS 13.0 or later. WWDC26 App Store guide

I think that framing matters more than the release note itself.

This is not really a story about one architecture flag. It is a story about old compatibility work becoming easier to question. If your Mac app's Intel support still serves a real audience, fine. Keep it. But if it is hanging around mostly because no one wanted to disturb the build settings, Apple has now made the default posture a little less sticky.

That feels especially relevant for smaller teams. Every extra architecture has some cost, even when it is not dramatic. More build surface. More testing surface. More reasons to keep edge-case assumptions alive.

The practical takeaway is simple: if your Mac app already targets macOS 13 or later, it is probably worth checking whether x86_64 is still solving a user problem or just preserving history. App Store Connect release notes WWDC26 App Store guide

Apple did not declare that every Mac developer should drop Intel immediately.

It did make the question easier to ask honestly.