Nineteen years ago, Apple began switching to a Mac operating system in which all programs were notarized (or at least signed). What began in 2007 with Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard) with optional signatures grew into a notarization system that is difficult to circumvent. But the certificates used have an expiration date, which is why it is reasonable to ask what will happen to apps and programs on Intel Macs soon. In a blog post, Howard Oakley addresses the question of how long users of Intel Macs will be able to continue using their software. First, Oakley explains the difference between signed and notarized software: Developers can provide their self-developed apps with a self-generated signature on their own computer in order to test them or use them long-term. By the way, web apps and individual apps released in the data protection settings receive a local ad hoc signature. So that you can make your software available to other users, “certified developer” status is recommended. This is what anyone who pays Apple $99 annually receives; in return there is an official developer signature. Each software version intended for publication must then be submitted to Apple for notarization. Since macOS 15 (Sequoia), macOS has been set by default so that only notarized software can be installed.
Apps remain functional
$99 isn’t that much, but if you’re giving up Mac app development, you might want to save on this expense. Fortunately, in this case, previously created apps do not lose their function: Gatekeeper only checks for a program whether the developer certificate linked to a notarization was valid on the day the program was created. The situation is different for installers that move program components to the appropriate locations in the macOS folder hierarchy: In this case, the developer certificate must still be active on the day the installer is executed.
Developers are in demand
If you ultimately leave the Intel architecture behind and switch to Apple Silicon, you will have to rely on the original developers to take action with older software in the long term. Apple only wants to maintain the integrated Rosetta translation framework in macOS 27. After that, only part of it remains to keep older Intel-based game titles running. Software providers should provide versions optimized for Apple Silicon by fall 2027 at the latest if they want to take place in future versions of macOS.
