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Get an accurate breakdown of your old 32–bit Mac software

I’ve just upgraded a major app using its custom installer. Its publisher claims the app is now fully 64–bit, and should be compatible when macOS drops 32–bit support, but Legacy Software still lists it as 32–bit. Who’s right?

When you first open any upgraded app, note the time and whether the normal Gatekeeper dialog appears, asking if you really want to open it. Then look at the Legacy Software section in Apple > About This Mac > System Report. If you don’t see the dialog, the upgrade probably hasn’t triggered the mechanism to update its entry there, and the app’s time of last open will be prior to upgrading. Confirm this by looking in the Applications section there, where it should now appear as 64–bit, and the app’s entry in Activity Monitor when the app is open.

The Legacy Software listing depends on a process named SPLegacySoftwareReporter checking the app, which only happens for updates during “first run” checks after being downloaded. Custom installers may not set the quarantine flag on them, which