Most of the time, we don’t need to care how a Mac application is running. We just need to get our work done. And, most of the time, that’s perfectly fine.
However, video editing requires solid performance from our computer and applications. Apps running using Rosetta, accommodating as it is to supporting apps that are still Intel-only, means that an application is not optimized for Apple silicon SoCs.
How can you tell? Easy.
If the app you want to run requires Rosetta, you’ll see this dialog. Rosetta is also required if the app accesses plug-ins or extensions that haven’t been upgraded.
NOTE: This is just a screenshot. These buttons are not enabled.
Click the Install button when you see this message. Rosetta must be installed before you run it for the first time. Once its installed, you can ignore it.
To enable an application, or the plug-ins it uses, to access Rosetta:
At the top, Kind (red arrow) will indicate whether an application is Universal or Intel. To enable an application to use Rosetta, click the Open using Rosetta checkbox.
NOTE: This screen shot uses an older version of Skype, which I haven’t upgraded.
“For apps labeled Application (Universal), the Info window includes the setting “Open using Rosetta.” This setting enables a universal app such as a web browser to use plug-ins, extensions, or other add-ons that haven’t been updated to support Apple silicon. If a universal app doesn’t recognize an add-on that you installed for the app, you can quit the app, select this setting, and try again.” (Apple KnowledgeBase)
Now you know.
