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Maybe it's frugality, nostalgia, or a reluctance to switch from Intel's familiar architecture that has you holding onto your old Mac. But if you were looking for a sign that the end is nigh, Apple's WWDC 2025 keynote was it. Apple revealed macOS Tahoe 26 at the show, and its minimal support for Intel-based hardware has officially set its expiration date.
With Apple Silicon now in its fourth generation and delivering fantastic performance, the company has clarified its future focus. So, if you're not yet ready to upgrade from that Intel machine, how long do you really have until it's time to switch? I've been testing and reviewing Macs for several years now, so I know where Apple's computers have been and have a solid idea of where they're heading. While I can't give a definitive answer for every specific machine and situation, I've identified some waypoints on your journey, problems that will likely come up, and opportunities for moving to a new system.
The Biggest News: macOS 26 Lands This Fall
At its WWDC keynote, Apple detailed significant changes to all its operating systems, from macOS to iOS, watchOS, and Apple tvOS. These updates are marked by a new numbering system that aligns everything by year, with macOS 26 being the next big Mac update (while keeping the California landmark theme).
The latest macOS (dubbed "Tahoe") will introduce Apple's new transparent " Liquid Glass " visuals for menu bars and buttons, more integrated Apple Intelligence capabilities in Shortcuts and Spotlight search, and Metal 4 graphics. The latter brings frame generation (similar to Nvidia's DLSS ), real-time ray tracing, and path tracing to M-series Macs.
If you're buying a new MacBook or Mac desktop, the fact that this OS update comes standard is cool news. But people still using older Macs are wondering the same thing: Will macOS 26 support Intel-based Macs?
Well, for most Intel models, the answer is a hard "no." However, Apple has made a handful of exceptions:
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Apple MacBook Pro (16‑inch, 2019) , which has an Intel Core i9-9980HK
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Apple MacBook Pro (13‑inch, 2020) , but only the model with four Thunderbolt 3 ports and an Intel Core i5-1038NG7
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Apple iMac (2020) , which has an Intel Core i9-10910
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And any 2019 Apple Mac Pro, the last to use an Intel Xeon workstation processor
So, if you have one of these tail-end Intel models, you just make the cut. However, it's worth pointing out that these are among Apple's last Intel-based Macs. The M1 chip debuted in late 2020, and Apple phased Intel chips out of every Mac and MacBook line over the next year or two.
That also means that if you're still rocking a MacBook from 2017, for example, you will not be able to download the latest macOS.
Apple's Latest Mac Computers
What Will Take Down Your Old Mac First?
Whether it's an 8-year-old iMac Pro or a 40-year-old Amiga you've kept running in a back room as a hobby horse, you'll encounter some common problems that any aging computer is prone to. Some are unavoidable, like the end of warranty coverage and customer service support. Others are less certain, like guessing which component might fail first. Some of these issues can be held off by preventative care; others can only be met with acceptance. You'll also discover problems unique to specific Apple models that can severely limit their long-term viability.
While any of these milestones can be a smart exit point for a Mac nearing the end of its lifespan, your decision ultimately depends on your specific needs and your tolerance for the complications of old age. If your older Mac is no longer meeting your needs or becoming too slow to use, it's likely time to consider purchasing a newer model.
No More Apple Help: The End of Warranty and Support
The first usability windows that will close are a computer's initial warranty period and the termination of service from Apple customer support. Generally speaking, Apple provides a one-year warranty on any new product, with the option to extend coverage up to three years with AppleCare+. You can check your device warranty status on Apple's website using the serial number.
Apple classifies older products as "Vintage" or "Obsolete." Laptops and desktops in the former group are still eligible for service and repair, but products classed as Obsolete are excluded from all support services.
How long will Apple support your old laptop with updates and repairs? The company usually applies the Vintage tag to Macs between three and seven years old, though a few exceptions exist. (See the Vintage list on Apple's support site .) Anything older than seven years is usually moved to the Obsolete list —so that old iBook or Power Mac G4 won't ever get any love from Apple again.
It's not the end of the world if Apple moves your Mac to the Obsolete list, but it does mean you'll have to turn to third-party services for repairs. That's reason enough for many users to upgrade, but it's just one point on the long road of using older hardware.
macOS and More: Software and Feature Drop-Off
The growing divide between Apple's latest features and those supported by your older machine is arguably more important than calendar age. Since the introduction of Apple Silicon, we've seen five macOS releases, and the sixth (macOS Tahoe) is on the way. But versions that were new when the M1 was fresh are no longer supported—macOS 11 ( Big Sur ) and macOS 12 ( Monterey ) have stopped getting updates, and newer releases like macOS 13 ( Ventura ) and macOS 14 ( Sonoma ) are already on life support.
With every iteration of its products, Apple introduces new software, new device integrations, and improved capabilities. Because of this, Intel-based Macs that predate the 2020 introduction of Apple Silicon can leave you feeling left out. To begin with, your aged Mac won't work as closely with your iPhone, and your iPad won't work as smoothly with your MacBook. Plus, your Apple Watch may not be able to do every cool trick that it's capable of. If you're heavily invested in Apple's ecosystem, Intel Macs show their age even more than they might for casual Apple users.
Apple also develops new features with current users in mind, using the latest products and software. As time passes, you'll increasingly find that features and functions common on newer Macs and recent versions of macOS just aren't showing up on your older device. At a certain point, living in the past loses its luster.
Apple Security Updates: Insecurity Through Antiquity
While you can get macOS updates for two or three years after buying a new Mac, security updates keep coming for a bit longer—one to two years after Apple stops sending full operating system updates. But even then, the security updates aren't as frequent or prompt as they are for newer models, so your four-year-old MacBook Pro isn't as secure as a new model, despite still getting security patches.
Laptops older than five years will not receive security patches. At a certain point, your retro machine will become an ever-growing security hole that hackers can drive right through. That may be fine if you're keeping a vintage collector's piece out of nostalgia, but if it's still your daily driver, the four-to-five-year time frame is a smart time to upgrade.
Redefining Your Apple Space: Storage and Clutter
As new MacBooks and Mac desktops come with roomier storage (in faster, more reliable formats), the hard drives or solid-state drives in Macs from just a few years ago will start to feel progressively smaller. At a certain point, you'll feel cramped by a drive that's filled to the brim with your files and apps, leaving your Mac feeling like an overstuffed closet, where you have trouble finding items inside and have no room for anything new.
But it's not simply a problem of newer models having more storage. As drives get larger and faster, storage needs grow in parallel because of what's now made possible. Today's developers enjoy the freedom of writing bigger apps, while users work with larger files—4K video takes far more drive space than the clip in 720p resolution. And new software tends to be a storage hog. That's fine if you have 1TB of headroom, but if you're limited to the 256GB drive that came standard on your 2016 15-inch MacBook Pro , you'll feel the pinch pretty quickly.
Finally, older drives not only have less room to store your stuff but also fill up with accumulated updates, program files, and the digital detritus that comes with operating a computer year after year. Sure, there are ways to free up space on your Mac , but doing so won't make your old drive any larger or faster.
Things Fall Apart: Hardware Failure
The final nail in most older Macs' coffins is hardware reaching the end of its life. While you might be able to keep an older MacBook Pro or MacBook Air chugging along for years, you should be aware of several potential points of failure that can end that streak.
Reliability engineers graph component failures over a product's life, creating a bathtub curve. Product defects are most likely to appear in the first weeks and months of using a product, accounting for high failure rates at the start of the product's life cycle. Then things settle down for a while, usually giving you years of trouble-free service. But then comes the other end of the graph—the curve ramps back up, with hardware failures ending the life of even the most reliable laptop or desktop.
If you haven't faced it yet, it's not a matter of if your Mac will break down but a question of when. Basic components like batteries and screens can be replaced piecemeal, but eventually, something will burn out, crack, or just quit, proving much harder to replace. Aside from the general, inescapable march of time, certain Macs have a few specific issues you'll need to watch out for.
The Infamous Butterfly Keyboard
Sadly, I'm not referring to the famous expanding "butterfly" keyboard of 1995's IBM ThinkPad 701C. Remember the 2015 Apple MacBook ? It was not a MacBook Air or MacBook Pro; it was just called MacBook—a 12-inch ultraportable that debuted a keyboard made to be extra slim to match the rest of the design. Unfortunately, the keyboard's new butterfly switch design was a real dud. Even worse, it eventually made its way to the MacBook Air and Pro models, which was a real shame.
The shallow keyboard was simply not up to the Apple standard: It was not exceptionally comfortable to type on and was plagued with failures if dust or dirt got under the keys. (They tended to stick down instead of popping back up.) Faced with irate customers and a class-action lawsuit , Apple ditched the butterfly design and even offered free repairs . If you're using any model of MacBook from the 2015 to 2018 era, you're likely typing on borrowed time. At the very least, keep that keyboard clean.
Suspect SSDs and Fusion Failures
Crank out a few million laptops, and you're bound to occasionally have some hitches. In Apple's case, solid-state drives have sometimes been an Achilles' heel.
Some of the 64GB and 128GB drives used in the 2012 and 2013 MacBook Air laptops were faulty, prompting the company to offer free replacements . Between 2017 and 2018, the 13-inch MacBook Pro had another issue-prone batch of drives. So, if you have one of these aged models, you've likely run into this particular wall by now.
Beyond that, between 2012 and 2019, some Intel iMacs and Mac minis used a hybrid storage system that Apple called Fusion Drive. It combined a speedy SSD with a cheaper but more capacious platter-based hard drive. It was a clever solution to price and performance disparities between the two storage technologies at the time. Today, it means you have a drive that's twice as likely to conk out on you at any time.
Fusion Drives combined the drives using a RAID alternative called CoreStorage, which actually shuttled programs and files back and forth between the hard drive and SSD to optimize performance. The problem is that pretty much means that if one drive falters, it takes the other with it.
Delaminated and Cracking Displays
The 2012 MacBook Pro elicited oohs and ahs for its dazzling Retina Display. But for the next five years, MacBooks' high-resolution panels were, at times, plagued by anti-glare coatings that could ruin screens well before their time was up. Even mild bumps or jolts could cause the anti-glare coatings to delaminate, separating into layers in a way that pretty much spoiled the screen. Even newer M1-based MacBooks have run into screen issues , with M1 MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models suffering from unexplained cracks in the display panels. If you're looking at an older, out-of-warranty Intel MacBook with this problem, you're likely best off looking at a new model, full stop.
Touchy Touch Bars
If you have a 2016 or later MacBook Pro with a Touch Bar above the keyboard (which Apple kept around until 2023 ), you might run into problems caused by an internal cable. The Touch Bar of an older Mac is another problem just waiting to happen.
Love Your Old Mac, But Don't Wait Too Long to Upgrade
The overarching message should be clear: Your old Intel Mac won't last much longer. I've listed plenty of reasons to upgrade to one of Apple's newer models, whether it's the comfort of manufacturer-approved repairs, the usefulness of new features, the security of frequent updates, or just the reliability of the hardware that makes it all work. Our roundup of the best Apple MacBooks is a fine place to get a reality check and price out what the new Apple Silicon models look like if you're on the cusp of upgrading.
Also, bear in mind, if you're rocking a 10-year-old MacBook, upgrading to a late-model but not cutting-edge Mac is another option. So, instead of shelling out more for the latest Apple MacBook Pro 14-Inch (2024, M4) or Apple MacBook Air 13-Inch (2025, M4), you might find a nice deal on the earlier Apple MacBook Air 13-Inch (2024, M3) . And if you really want to save, Walmart still sells the older Apple MacBook Air (M1, Late 2020) for just $649. That bargain has kept the M1 MacBook Air on our list of the best cheap laptops for several years.
If you love your Intel Mac too much to part with it, at least be sure you're regularly backing up your files , keeping your system clean , and steering clear of bad habits that might shorten the life of your machine. And remember that when you do upgrade to something new, you don't have to throw out your beloved Mac—you can save it as a vintage piece of tech or find a creative way to reuse it .
