As of R2023b, MATLAB offers native support for Apple Silicon with a dedicated Apple Silicon version for both MATLAB Desktop and MATLAB Runtime. Apple Silicon also features Rosetta, which allows Intel-based programs to run on them.
The compatibility of compiled applications is as follows:
Applications compiled on Intel Mac:
A MATLAB application compiled on an Intel Mac will run on all Intel Macs and can also run on Apple Silicon Macs using Rosetta. Compiling native Apple Silicon applications on an Intel Mac is not possible.
Applications compiled on Apple Silicon Mac:
When installing MATLAB, you can choose between the Intel (maci64) and Apple Silicon (maca64) versions of MATLAB:
- A MATLAB application compiled with the Intel version of MATLAB on an Apple Silicon Mac using Rosetta will run on all Intel Macs and can also run on Apple Silicon Macs using Rosetta. It cannot compile native Apple Silicon applications even though it is running on an Apple Silicon Mac.
- A MATLAB application compiled with the Apple Silicon version of MATLAB on an Apple Silicon Mac will only run on Apple Silicon Macs. Compiling Intel applications on an Apple Silicon Mac is not possible.
Both the native Apple Silicon and Intel versions of MATLAB can be installed and used on the same machine, as explained here:
Deployment of compiled applications on Apple Silicon Mac:
When deploying compiled applications on Apple Silicon Macs, consider the following:
- Running Intel standalone applications requires the Intel version of MATLAB Runtime.
- Running native Apple Silicon standalone applications requires the Apple Silicon version of MATLAB Runtime.
Both the native Apple Silicon and Intel versions of MATLAB Runtime can be installed and used on the same machine, as explained here: