How to Run an M1 Mac App as an Intel App – Guide

When Apple released the first Macs with the M1 processor (Apple’s first generation of silicon), it also introduced an entirely new architecture for running applications on the Mac. To take full advantage of the speed of the new chip, Intel software must be specifically rewritten for the M1 processor. However, developers need time to write applications with this “native” code, so Apple created a translation tool called Rosetta 2 that allows existing Intel-based software designed for Intel Macs to run on Apple chips. If you have a Mac M1, you’re probably already using Rosetta without realizing it. The first time you launched an app that required it, a warning popped up informing you that Rosetta was needed and asking your permission to install it.

Rosetta is a program that is automatically available to any application that needs it. The same applies to M1 apps. If a native application is available, your Mac will automatically run that version. However, there may be times when you have a universal app (an app that runs on both Intel and Apple silicon Macs) and you prefer to run the Intel version over the M1 version. This could be due to an M1 app without a feature you need or if you are using an application with third-party plug-ins or extensions that are only supported by Intel.

How to Check if an application is Intel/Silicon/Universal based

To check whether an application is running on Intel-based software, open the system settings and select “General.” Under “Processor,” you’ll see a list of processors installed on your computer. If the application is running on an Intel processor, it will appear in this list. If the application is running on a Silicon processor, it will not appear in this list. To check whether an application is running on Apple Silicon-based software, open the system settings and select “Software Update.” Under “Available Software,” you’ll see a list of applications that are compatible with your computer’s Apple silicon chip. If the application is compatible with Apple silicon chips, it will appear in this list. If the application is not compatible with Apple silicon chips, it will not appear in this list. To check whether an application is running on Universal software (the application supports both Intel and Silicon processors), open the system settings and select “System Preferences.” Under “Advanced,” you’ll see a list of options that control how applications run on your computer. If the application is compatible with both Intel and Silicon processors, it will appear in this list. If the application is not compatible with either Intel or Silicon processors, it will not appear in this list. ..

If you are using an older Mac, the About This Mac window may not appear when you first start up your computer. To see it, click the Apple menu in the upper left corner of the screen, and then select “About This Mac”. ..

In the left menu pane, click Applications.

You can see which apps are installed on your Mac in the “Type” column. The version of the app is listed in the “Version” column. ..

If you want to check the version of an individual app, just right-click the app’s icon and select “Get Info”. ..

How to open an Apple Silicon app as an Intel app

If you have an application that depends on a specific Intel or AMD processor, you might want to run the Intel version instead of the M1 version. This could be because the M1 version is missing a feature that the Intel version supports, or the Intel version is faster and more reliable.

Open the Finder and find the app you want to use.

Right-click the app and select “Get Info” to get information about the app. ..

This window allows you to open the document using Rosetta.

Close the app if it is open. If the app is already running, exit and restart. ..

That’s it! Your Mac will run the Intel version of the software through Rosetta emulation software. If you want to return to the M1 version later, just repeat the steps and uncheck the box.

Final note

How to Run an M1 Mac App as an Intel App If you’re looking to run your favorite Apple apps on a Windows computer, you’ll need to first install the Intel App Store. Once you’ve done that, you can follow these simple steps to run your favorite apps on your M1 Mac:

  1. Open the Intel App Store and sign in with your Apple ID. If you don’t have an Apple ID, create one now.
  2. Click on the “Apps” tab and find the app you want to run. If the app is installed on your computer by default, it will be listed there; if not, open it and click on the “Install” button next to the app’s name.
  3. Follow the prompts that appear and enter your computer’s password when prompted. When installation is complete, click on “Open” in theIntel App Store and enjoy running your favorite apps!