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Run 32-bit Apps In Macos Catalina

Question :

I have just upgraded to macOS 10.15 Catalina, but I just found out that I still have an old iPhoto database somewhere that I want to integrate with Photos.app using the official Apple iPhoto Updater application. But that’s 32-bit software, so it won’t run in macOS 10.15 Catalina…

What can I do ?

Parallels Desktop cannot run a 32-bit plugin for an app that is running in Catalina. The app and all its plugins would have to installed and run inside a macOS VM. As I mentioned in the blog post, you would probably have to run the app’s installer inside the macOS VM to ensure that everything the app needs was present and in the correct location. MacOS Catalina is here, and with the update comes the transition from 32-bit apps to 64-bit apps. Overall, this is a good thing because it means that apps will run faster and access more memory.

Answer :

The easiest option is to find a Mac that still runs one of the latest versions of the 32-bit supporting versions of macOS like 10.13 High_Sierra or 10.14 Mojave.

In any version of macOS before 10.15 Catalina, the easiest alternative would probably have been to create a bootable external USB drive running an older version of macOS (like 10.14 Mojave), but by installing 10.15 Catalina you have also installed some drastic security which prevents your Mac from booting from an external drive easily…

So your best option at this moment is to create a virtual machine on your Mac (hoping you have enough internal disk space available – even though you might be able to pull the trick with 16GB free memory, you should be better off with at least 32GB of free memory before you try this).

First, get yourself an official copy of the macOS 10.14 Mojave installer :

  • search online for the official macOS 10.14 Mojave installer on iTunes / the App Store, or use this link to download : https://apps.apple.com/sk/app/macos-mojave/id1398502828?mt=12
  • the AppStore.app will now automatically open on your Mac on the right page
  • click the GET button
  • now System Preference’s Software Update window will open with a pulldown window asking you if you are sure you want to download macOS Mojave (since you are running from macOS Catalina even macOS knows that normally doesn’t make sense) click the Download button
  • when the installer has been downloaded completely, it will automatically run – however, since your Mac is already running a newer version of macOS (you are running macOS 10.15 Catalina) you will get an error window saying ‘this copy of the “Install macOS” application is too old to be opened on this version of macOS’ so you will only be able to click the Quit button
  • then open a Finder window to check where the Install macOS Mojave application is located (it should be located in the Applications folder)
Macos catalina 32 bit apps

Secondly, get yourself a Virtual Machine application. I would suggest to use Oracle’s VirtualBox, as it’s FREE and the features are nearly identical to commercial Virtual Machine applications like Parallels Desktop or VMware Fusion :

  • go to https://www.virtualbox.org and download VirtualBox
  • since you are ultimately trying to run 32-bit software, you might be tempted to download VirtualBox 5.2 which is the last version to run on 32-bit hosts ; there is nothing against doing so, but VirtualBox 6 should do great as well, since your Mac is capable of running macOS 10.15 Catalina ; it’s just the VM you’re trying to install (Mojave) that needs to be 32-bit capable, not the host (your Mac running Catalina)
  • install VirtualBox
  • run Virtual Box

Then, install macOS 10.14 Mojave within VirtualBox. There are various guides available on doing so, but the best way is using the guide created by TobiWasHere! on installing a macOS 10.13 High_Sierra VM, which is (nearly) identical :

When done, run the macOS 10.15 Mojave VM. Then import the 32-bit application into it and run it.

As mentioned before, it’s far faster and easier to borrow a Mac that hasn’t been upgraded to macOS 10.15 Catalina if you incidentally need to run 32-bit software. And if you need to run a 32-bit application for daily use a Virtual Machine is not recommended (even though it can be done), in that case it is probably best to either use a ‘two Mac strategy’ with one running macOS 10.14 Mojave and one running macOS 10.15 Catalina, or – if you insist on using one Mac only – to run macOS 10.14 Mojave only until all applications you need have been upgraded to (or replaced by) 64-bit versions.

Good Luck !

enjoy 😉

When Apple launched macOS Mojave in 2018, it announced that it would be the last version of macOS that would support 32-bit applications. From Catalina onwards, you will no longer be able to run 2-bit apps and will have to upgrade to 64-bit versions or find alternatives.

What are 32-bit apps?

These applications date back to the days when computers ran on 32-bit processors and had 32-bit operating systems. While often described in terms of speed and power, the real difference between 32-bit and 64-bit whether it’s applications operating systems or CPUs, is the amount of memory they can address. 32-bit apps can only address 4GB of RAM, so that is the maximum amount of RAM they can use.

Why has Apple stopped supporting 32-bit apps

Apple has been using 64-bit processors in Macs for well over a decade and macOS has been 64-bit since Snow Leopard, so it was only a matter of time before the Mac became 64-bit only. That time is now. Apple believes that the apps most people use most of the time are 64-bit and those that haven’t made the leap have good 64-bit alternatives.

It has also provided plenty of warning. When you open a 32-bit app in Mojave or High Sierra for the first time, you are warned that it is 32-bit and that you should update it. That warning then appears again every month or so.

By dropping support for 32-bit apps, Apple can fully optimize macOS Catalina for 64-bit apps and focus its resources on supporting those.

Is my app 32-bit or 64-bit?

When you upgrade to Catalina, you’ll be shown a list of any 32-bit apps you have installed and that will no longer work. If you want to check before then, you have two options: one very easy and the other a little more complicated. We’ll start with the manual, more complicated method.

  1. Click on the Apple logo at the top of the screen.
  2. Choose About this Mac.
  3. Select System Report at the bottom of the window.
  4. Click on Applications and scroll to the right until you see the column headed ’64-bit’.
  5. Apps that have a yes in the column are 64-bit and will work, those with a ‘No’ are 32-bit and won’t work.

There is an easier way to check, and it’s the one I recommend because it will allow you to upgrade 32-bit apps to their 64-bit versions at the press of a button. It uses the Updater utility in CleanMyMac X — a cool program by MacPaw — and it’s so simple to use. Here’s how:

  1. Install, and launch CleanMyMac X — it’s free to download
  2. In the app, click on the Uninstaller tab

Now, press the “32-bit” tag in the sidebar on the left

You will see the list of your apps that will not be supported on Catalina. Some of them may already have 64-bit versions available. So instead of updating each app separately and wasting time browsing, just put the cursor on the tab below called “Updater”

Check the box next to each of the apps and press Update. The most recent versions of all the apps displayed will be installed, including 64-bit versions where they’re available.

Macos Catalina 32 Bit Support

How can I keep running 32-bit apps on macOS Catalina?

If you have 32-bit apps that you depend on and absolutely can’t use another app, and there is no 64-bit version available, you have three options.

  1. Don’t upgrade to Catalina. If you carry on using Mojave, or whatever version of macOS you’re using, you will be able to keep using 32-bit apps. However, it’s unlikely that the developer of those apps will continue to update them once Catalina is launched, as fewer and fewer people will use them. For example, shortly after Apple announced Catalina, games developer Aspyr announced that it would no longer sell 32-bit games. You will also be missing out on all of the benefits of Catalina.
  2. Upgrade to Catalina on your main Mac but keep another Mac running an older version of macOS. This relies on you having more than one Mac, of course. But it does mean you can enjoy the new features in Catalina and still use your old 32-bit apps. However, the same thing applies as above: your 32-bit apps are unlikely to be supported and updated for long. That includes security and compatibility updates.
  3. Run Mojave in a virtual machine, such as VMWare Fusion.

What else is affected by dropping support for 32-bit?

Some media file formats won’t make the transition to 64-bit. Most of these were created using formats or codecs that rely on QuickTime 7, according to Apple. The QuickTime 7 framework is included in Mojave and its predecessors, but won’t be there in Catalina, so formats created with it won’t work. Apple has a full list of affected formats here.

Macos Catalina 32 Bit Games

That means some Final Cut Pro and Motion projects won’t be compatible. However, if you open a project with a 32-bit format, you will see a warning and will be able to convert the library to a 64-bit compatible format at the click of a button. You will also be able to convert Final Cut libraries at any time from the File menu by choosing Check Media for Compatibility. And you can convert files in Compressor.

Macos Catalina App Store

Dropping support for 32-bit apps in macOS Catalina is part of a long transition from 32-bit to 64-bit that started with hardware and then with the OS in Snow Leopard. Apple has been supporting both for many years but has decided the time is now right to become a 64-bit only operating system. Fortunately, most apps have already migrated to 64-bit and you can update all your apps at once using CleanMyMac X’s Updater. For apps that don’t have a 64-bit version, you need to decide whether to find an alternative or not upgrade to Catalina.

Macos Catalina App Compatibility List

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