Installing the upcoming macOS 11.3 software update on an M1 Mac could result in Rosetta 2 being uninstalled in one or more regions around the world.
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In the third beta of macOS 11.3 being offered to developers for testing today, MacRumors contributor Steve Moser discovered new strings in beta code indicating that “Rosetta will be removed when installing this update.” Another new string reads, “Rosetta is no longer available in this region. Applications that require Rosetta will no longer work.”
Apple has not specified in which regions Rosetta 2 would be “no longer available,” and further details are not known at this time.
Apple removes Rosetta from Macs during updates in certain countries in Mac 11.3 beta 3. Maybe this is due to legal problems? Rosetta will be removed when installing this update Rosetta is no longer available in your region. Applications that require Rosetta can no longer be used. pic.twitter.com/NmsjXOwPvP
– Steve Moser (@SteveMoser) March 3, 2021
Rosetta 2 allows Macs powered by Apple silicon such as the M1 chip to run x86 apps built for an Intel-based Mac. The translation layer works in the background when a user opens an app that is only curated for Mac computers with an Intel processor, and automatically translates the app for use with Apple Silicon the first time the app is run.
It’s unclear why macOS 11.3 could remove Rosetta 2 on M1 Macs in some regions, but there may be legal or copyright reasons involved. Apple did not immediately respond to our request for comment, but we will provide an update if we hear back.
The third beta of macOS 11.3 also adds some new settings with graphics for mapping game controller buttons to keyboard layouts, according to Moser’s code-level findings, but we’re not quite sure what this entails.