Apple’s new macOS Tahoe release isn’t the end of the road for Intel Macs, but it sends Apple’s clearest signal yet that it’s nearly finished with the Intel Mac era. The macOS 26 update will support just four Intel Macs, all released in 2019 or 2020, and it entirely drops support for all Intel versions of the MacBook Air and Mac mini.
Other models that run the current macOS 15 Sequoia release that won’t support macOS Tahoe include all 15-inch MacBook Pros, all 13-inch MacBook Pros with two Thunderbolt ports, and the 4K and 5K versions of the 2019 iMac.
The compatibility list for macOS 26 Tahoe.
Credit:
Apple
Apple has generally been pulling support for new macOS releases from Intel Macs more aggressively than it was in the mid-to-late 2010s, giving most systems six-ish years of new macOS releases followed by another two years of security updates. Some models fared better than others; for example, Intel MacBook Air models have been getting dropped more aggressively than MacBook Pros.
Macs that are stuck on macOS 15 Sequoia should still receive two more years of security-only software updates and new versions of the Safari browser; Apple doesn’t say when these support periods end, but these updates will likely dry up in the fall of 2027. Macs that are stuck on macOS 14 Sonoma should be supported with security patches and Safari updates until the fall of 2026, and Macs on macOS 13 Ventura will likely stop getting security updates in the next two or three months.