[arm64] Apple Silicon Roadmap

Post by **rednoah** » 01 Dec 2021, 07:21

Prerequisites:

[x] Require arm64 OpenJDK (i.e. JEP 391: macOS/AArch64 Port)
[_] Require x86_64 + arm64 universal binary OpenJDK (required for Mac App Store submission)
[x] Require arm64 libjnidispatch.dylib binaries
[x] Require arm64 libjcocoa.dylib binaries
[x] Require arm64 libmediainfo.dylib binaries
[x] Require arm64 lib7-Zip-JBinding.dylib binaries (optional; can use 7z binaries as an alternative)
[x] Require arm64 fpcalc binaries
[x] Require arm64 appbundler support

UPDATE: 10 Feb 2024
Universal JDK (as opposed to architecture-specific JDK) is not viable. The App Store Connect developer interface does not support the upload of multiple app bundles per architecture neither, so we are at an impasse. We can use lipo to combine binaries and libraries, but architecture-specific runtime resource files (notably jrt-fs.jar, modules, classlist, etc) are an unsolved (i.e. unsolvable to us; but easily solvable by Apple if someone were to care) problem. The lipo tool cannot combine resource files and the JDK wouldn't be able to work with combined resource files even if we could combine them. Notably, the Mac App Store does not currently allow submissions where an arm64-only version replaces a previously released x64-only version.

UPDATE: 12 May 2026

Q: When will FileBot publish arm64 binaries on the Mac App Store?

As soon as Apple either allows us to publish a x64 and a arm64 package, or allows us to publish only an arm64 package.

Apple wrote:To only support Macs with Apple silicon, your app must require a minimum OS version of macOS Monterey 12 or later, and have never supported Intel-based Macs. Apps can add Intel support and lower the minimum OS version in an update but, once released, they cannot return to only supporting Apple silicon. https://developer.apple.com/app-store/submitting/

For technical reasons, FileBot can be either x64 or arm64 but not both, as would usually be the case for macOS-only software. So we're in a bind there. We can only do one or the other.

The x64 package works for both x64 and arm64. The arm64 would only work on arm64. For technical reasons, we cannot do both. Apple also - for the time being - does not allow us to not publish a x64 package. While new apps can be arm64 only, apps that have a x64 version already are not allowed to drop support for that. This rule might change in the future when Apple themselves officially drop support for x64.

In the meanwhile, if you must have an arm64 binary, then the non-Store edition is available in either x64 or arm64 flavours.

eMeR · Post by **eMeR** » 06 Dec 2021, 08:26

Nice to see native AS support is in progress

. Any realistic ETA for the release?

Post by **rednoah** » 06 Dec 2021, 08:35

No ETA since arm64 support in FileBot requires arm64 support in all 3rd party dependencies, many of which have not been updated in years. The x86_64 binaries are known to work well via on arm64 via Rosetta binary translation though.

Post by **rednoah** » 10 Dec 2021, 13:15

FileBot_4.9.5_arm64.pkg is now available for testing:
https://get.filebot.net/filebot/BETA/

Optional dependencies that aren't available for aarch64 (e.g. fpcalc / AcoustID) are not included and won't work.

eMeR · Post by **eMeR** » 14 Dec 2021, 13:43

That's a nice start

Post by **rednoah** » 14 Dec 2021, 13:53

The fpcalc executable is still x86_64 (used exclusively for AcoustID) but other than that it's all arm64. The arm64 JRE runs things ~3x faster compared to x86_64 JRE under Rosetta.

eMeR · Post by **eMeR** » 15 Dec 2021, 17:56

rednoah wrote: ↑14 Dec 2021, 13:53 <...>The arm64 JRE runs things ~3x faster compared to x86_64 JRE under Rosetta.

Impressive!

Post by **rednoah** » 16 Dec 2021, 03:31

eMeR wrote: ↑15 Dec 2021, 17:56 Impressive!

Well, Rosetta translation working correctly at all for just-in-time compiled code, at only a 3x performance penalty no less, the Apple engineers really outdid themselves there. IMHO, that's the really impressive thing here!

There probably won't be a noticeable performance difference between running FileBot on a high-end macOS M1 machine and a high-end Windows / Linux machine with Intel or AMD inside.

Post by **rednoah** » 24 Dec 2021, 02:52

fpcalc has now shipped arm64 binaries as well, so the arm64 bundle is now arm64 only.

sunny · Post by **sunny** » 06 Sep 2023, 02:59

Are there any plans to make the arm64 version of filebot available for the apple store？

Post by **rednoah** » 06 Sep 2023, 07:16

sunny wrote: ↑06 Sep 2023, 02:59 Are there any plans to make the arm64 version of filebot available for the apple store？

FileBot itself does support x64 and arm64 and has a separate package for each, but due to arbitrary technical limitations of the Mac App Store, we can only publish one of them through the App Store. Thus we can make it either x64-only with arm64-compatibility via Rosetta translation, or arm64-only with x64 users left dead in the water. There is no good solution. We are stuck at the status quo. I would strongly recommend avoiding the Mac App Store for this and other reasons. I'd add that to the Mac App Store product description but Apple Review does not like that.

A x64+arm64 universal package for FileBot would require a x64+arm64 universal package for OpenJDK which currently does not exist and may very well never exist.

Post by **rednoah** » 26 May 2026, 05:54

I kept getting the "Intel Support Ending" message so I went on the Mac app Store to find the ARM version.
The MAS only has the intel version available to me.

I downloaded the ARM version from your website and exported the settings from intel and restored to the arm version. My presets were installed correctly but my license is not applied.

Thanks in advance for sending me the arm equivalent license.

Short answer:
If it works, ignore the message. Don't worry about it, until something actually doesn't work.

Long answer:
* MAS purchase / universal-standalone license are not interchangable: FileBot Pricing Explained
* MAS purchase is currently x64-only and will switch to arm64-only as soon as Apple allows us to do that: [arm64] Apple Silicon Roadmap › Q: When will FileBot publish arm64 binaries on the Mac App Store?

In the meanwhile, I can issue a complimentary 1yr universal-standalone license for your convenience.

wsetliff · Post by **wsetliff** » 29 May 2026, 11:54

I purchased filebot via the Mac store. Like the person above, I've been receiving the warning that support for the intel version is going to stop, so I downloaded and installed the ARM64 version. When I try to rename, it asks for my license and will not function without it. I looked under "About" using the Intel version (trying to find a license number) and it doesn't give a license number but reports it was purchased using the Mac app store. Help please! Thanks

Post by **rednoah** » 29 May 2026, 12:04

MAS purchases don’t have a standalone universe license number. See post above.

The MAS edition will notably not be discontinued. The message you see is misleading. It’s a generic message by Apple, not us, and not specifically about FileBot. We will switch the MAS edition to ARM64-only if and when Apple allows us to do so. Don’t worry. It’ll be fine.