How To Find & Upgrade 32-Bit Apps On Your Mac.
Until now, your Mac has supported all versions of any application on your computer. You can run the application, whether 32-bit or 64-bit, without any problem on your computer. However, this will change with macOS 10.15.
After updating your Mac to the latest version of macOS, you will no longer be able to run applications that use 32-bit architecture. macOS is ending support for all 32-bit apps and is now moving to a 64-bit-only app environment.
For end users like you and me, this means we need to update our apps to 64-bit or we will lose access to apps in the latest macOS update. Of course, we understand that not many of you are tech-savvy, and you might not know if an application is 32-bit or 64-bit.
Therefore, we put together this guide, which shows you how to find 32-bit applications on your Mac, and gives advice on what you can do with those applications. At the end of the guide, you will learn how to run applications even with the latest macOS update on your Mac.
Use the system report to find a list of 32-bit applications on Mac
Use the System Report to find a list of 32-bit apps on your Mac
System Report is a great utility for your Mac that allows you to find a lot of information about the hardware and software elements of your computer. While its main purpose is not to help you find applications on your Mac, it helps you find all 32-bit applications installed on your computer.
Here’s how to get listed for all 32-bit applications installed on your Mac:
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- Click the Apple logo at the top-left corner of the screen and select About This Mac. On the next screen, click the button labeled “System Report” under your Mac details.
- By default, you are on the Hardware tab in the reporting utility. Expand the list of applications by clicking “Software” and then “Applications” in the left sidebar.
- You will see a list of all applications installed on your Mac. Scroll to the right and look at the 64-bit (Intel) column. If the application says No, it means you are viewing a 32-bit application.
This way you can easily determine if the application is 32-bit or 64-bit.
Use Activity Monitor to find 32-bit apps on Mac
Use Activity Monitor to find 32-bit apps on your Mac
Another way to find 32-bit apps on your Mac is to use the Activity Monitor tool. The tool lets you know if the application is 32-bit, but the application should work while you try to find this information. You won’t find any information if the app is not running on your Mac.
- Launch the corresponding application on the Mac, but do nothing with it. Open Activity Monitor in the launcher.
- Right-click any column name (Processor, Streams, etc.) and select Type. It will add a new column to the right of the existing columns.
- The newly added Type column will indicate whether the application currently running on your Mac is 32-bit or 64-bit.
Both of the above methods will help you easily find all 32-bit applications available on your Mac.
What to do with 32-bit applications?
What do you do with 32-bit applications?
If you find that some of your applications are still using 32-bit architecture, you can update them to 64-bit versions as soon as possible. If you don’t, these apps won’t work on macOS 10.15 and later.
Most developers are aware of this change that Apple made to macOS, and they may have already released 64-bit versions of their apps. There are several ways to check if your existing applications have 64-bit versions for your Mac.
Update apps from the Mac App Store
Update apps from the Mac app store
If your 32-bit apps were downloaded from the Mac App Store, chances are the developer has submitted a 64-bit update to the store. In this case, all you have to do is update the app as usual and it will be compatible with newer versions of macOS.
- To update your apps, launch the Mac App Store on your Mac.
- Click the Updates option at the top to access the Updates panel.
- If an update is available for your applications, you will find an Update button next to them.
- Click the button and the applications will be updated to newer versions.
Get the latest version from the official website
Get the latest copy from the official website
Perhaps the 32-bit application you are using on your Mac came from a website on the internet. In this case, you can visit the official website of the application to see if a 64-bit update is available.
Just go to the app website and search for a newer version of the app. If available, download and install it on your computer. Your existing app will be updated to the latest version.
Update the app from within the app
Update the application from within the application
Many apps allow you to get updates from the app menu. This is true for apps like iTunes, Chrome, AppCleaner and others.
In most apps, you can get new updates by clicking the app name at the top and selecting Check for updates or a similar option. If you find that an update is available, select it to install it on your computer.
Conclusion
If you haven’t already, go ahead and update all of your 32-bit apps to 64-bit if you still want those apps to work on the latest versions of macOS. Otherwise, your applications will stop working.
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