You can either get Application (Universal) or Application (Intel)

Select Get Info and check the Kind value, in the General tab.

Next, right-click on the app that you want to inspect.

Open Finder and click on Applications, in the left sidebar.

You can also check each app individually to find out its compatibility:.

Check the Kind column and see which app is Universal or Intel based.

Click Applications, available in the left sidebar under the Software label.

Click on System Report…, available in the Overview tab.

Click the Apple-logo, available in the top-left corner of the screen.

It can show two values: ‘Apple’ or ‘Intel’.įact: Obviously the first option is for Universal coded apps, while the second signals that the app is using Intel’s x86-64 code.

Check the Architecture column next to each process.

Search for the Activity Monitor and open it.Click on Applications, in the left sidebar.Open Finder, from the macOS Big Sur Dock.Nevertheless, here is how you can check which apps running on your Mac, come with Universal 2 binary support and which are yet to be updated. This is why it’s important to know if an app is M1 native, or running via emulation.įact: You might be surprised but M1 Macs are so fast, that they can still run non-native apps, via emulator software, faster than Intel-based Macs that run them natively! 3 Ways To Tell If An App Is Optimized For The M1 Mac However, apps that run through the translation layer will generally run slower when compared to Universal apps that are executed directly. The M1 Mac can run apps that haven’t been updated, thanks to Apple’s Rosetta 2 emulation system.

Some apps have been already updated with support for M1 Mac while others are still only customized for Macs that are powered by Intel processors. Apple’s new M1 Silicone Chip, that’s powering the 2020 Mac flagships, requires third-party apps to be updated by their developers to the Universal 2 standard, in order to be able to run natively and reach peak performance in macOS Big Sur.

Universal emulator mac