JW Library® on macOS: Requirements and Realities

JW Library® is the official Bible-study application of Jehovah’s Witnesses, providing Bible translations, publications, media, search, notes, and highlights across supported platforms. With Apple’s transition from Intel processors to Apple silicon and the app’s appearance in the Mac App Store, macOS compatibility has moved to the forefront. The article presents an overview of JW Library® on Mac, traces development milestones leading to current availability, explains Apple silicon fundamentals that govern compatibility, details macOS and hardware requirements for installation, evaluates prospects for Intel-based Mac support, and outlines practical alternatives for Intel-based hardware.

Application overview and milestones

JW Library® on Apple platforms launched on October 7, 2013, for iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch and remains actively maintained; current App Store metadata lists iOS/iPadOS 15 or later as the minimum for mobile devices.

On macOS, JW Library® appears in the Mac App Store as an iPad-class build enabled on Apple silicon Macs. Apple support documentation notes that apps labeled “Designed for iPhone” or “Designed for iPad” can be installed on Macs with Apple silicon. The JW Library® listing specifies “Requires macOS 13.0 or later and a Mac with Apple M1 chip or later.” JW Library Sign Language® is also available on Apple-silicon Macs with a lower minimum of macOS 11.0.

Availability on macOS followed the Apple silicon transition. In October 2021, version 12.5 introduced JW Library® on the Mac App Store for Apple-silicon Macs. Distribution uses Apple’s mechanism that allows selected iPhone and iPad apps to run on macOS, introduced with macOS Big Sur and expanded in subsequent releases.

The jw.org® help article summarizes supported platforms as Android 7.0 or later, iOS 15.0 or later, macOS with M1 or newer chip, and Windows 10 Version 1903 or later.

Apple silicon overview

In June 2020, Apple announced that the Mac would move from Intel processors (x86-64) to the company’s own ARM-based chips, now known as the M-series. Apple emphasized performance-per-watt, unified memory, and the ability to bring iPhone/iPad technologies closer to the Mac lineup. The first M-series Macs shipped later that year, and in June 2023 Apple introduced an Apple-silicon Mac Pro, publicly marking the transition complete.

A key compatibility outcome is that only Macs with Apple silicon can install eligible iPhone and iPad apps from the Mac App Store on macOS. Listings carry the labels ‘Designed for iPhone’ or ‘Designed for iPad.’ Intel-based Macs do not support this capability.

macOS compatibility and requirements

Supported

• Apple-silicon Macs (M1 or later) with macOS 13.0 or later. Macs with an M-series chip running macOS 13.0 or later can install JW Library® from the Mac App Store. The listing states: “Requires macOS 13.0 or later and a Mac with Apple M1 chip or later.”
• JW Library Sign Language® on Apple-silicon Macs. The Mac App Store listing states: “Requires macOS 11.0 or later and a Mac with Apple M1 chip or later.”

Not supported

• Intel-based Macs (any macOS version). The Mac App Store requirement excludes Intel hardware. Apple’s mechanism for installing iPhone and iPad apps on macOS applies only to Apple-silicon Macs.

Reference baseline: The jw.org® help article lists supported platforms as Android 7.0 or later, iOS 15.0 or later, macOS with M1 or newer chip, and Windows 10 Version 1903 or later.

Why Intel-based Macs cannot install the app

Intel-based Macs and Apple-silicon Macs use different CPU instruction sets. Intel uses x86-64. Apple silicon uses ARM64. iPhone and iPad apps are compiled for ARM64. An Intel Mac cannot execute ARM64 iOS binaries.

On macOS, there are three relevant software paths:

1. Native macOS apps. Developers can ship a Mac app that includes one or more binary slices: x86-64 for Intel and ARM64 for Apple silicon. If an Intel slice is provided, an Intel Mac can install it.
2. iPhone and iPad apps on Mac. Apple enables selected iOS and iPadOS apps to appear on the Mac App Store as “Designed for iPhone” or “Designed for iPad.” This path exists only on Apple-silicon Macs because it relies on an ARM64 runtime and frameworks that match iOS and iPadOS. Intel Macs do not provide that environment.
3. Mac Catalyst or AppKit rebuilds. A developer can create a true Mac app that targets Intel and Apple silicon by shipping x86-64 and ARM64 slices. If a developer does not provide an Intel slice, Intel support is not present.

Rosetta 2 does not resolve this gap. Rosetta translates Intel Mac binaries to run on Apple silicon. Rosetta does not translate ARM64 iOS apps for Intel hardware. There is no Apple system component that converts an ARM64 iPhone or iPad build into an x86-64 Mac app on Intel.

The JW Library® Mac App Store listing is delivered as an iPad-class build for Apple-silicon Macs. No Intel Mac slice is provided. The iPhone and iPad on Mac pathway are unavailable on Intel. As a result, the listing does not appear as installable on Intel-based Macs, and installation cannot proceed through the Mac App Store on Intel hardware.

Prospects for Intel-based Mac support

Future support for Intel-based Macs is unlikely. Apple completed the platform transition to Apple silicon in June 2023, and current Mac models ship exclusively with M-series chips. The active development ecosystem, performance tuning, and platform roadmaps now center on Apple silicon.

Adding Intel support would require more than flipping a switch in the Mac App Store. The current Mac listing for JW Library® is an iPad-class build enabled for installation on Apple-silicon Macs. Intel Macs cannot install iPhone or iPad builds on macOS. To support Intel, the app developers would need to ship a true Mac application that includes an x86-64 slice, delivered either via Mac Catalyst or a native AppKit build. That step introduces a separate Mac code target, desktop-specific UI work, and an expanded testing matrix across CPU architectures and macOS versions.

Backward compatibility brings additional complications:

• Dual-architecture builds. Universal 2 binaries must carry both arm64 and x86-64 slices. This increases build size, CI time, code-signing complexity, and QA effort.
• Framework and dependency parity. Third-party libraries and system frameworks used by the iPad build may have Apple-silicon-first optimizations or lack full support on older Intel hardware, requiring replacements or conditional code paths.
• Performance and UX variance. Older Intel GPUs and storage subsystems can yield slower launch times, higher CPU use, and thermal throttling, which complicates performance targets and support expectations.
• Maintenance surface area. Every release would need validation across two architectures, multiple macOS baselines, and different input models, increasing regression risk and support overhead.
• No system translator for Intel. Rosetta 2 translates Intel apps to run on Apple silicon. No Apple tool translates ARM iOS binaries for Intel Macs, so there is no low-effort bridge for the existing iPad build.

Given the diminishing Intel install base, the engineering and support costs are unlikely to justify a separate Intel Mac application. If platform support changes, the App Store listing and the jw.org® help articles would reflect that change. Until an official update appears, planning around Apple-silicon-only availability on macOS remains the practical approach.

Practical options for Intel-based Macs

Because Intel-based Macs do not support installation of JW Library® from the Mac App Store. The following options maintain access to JW Library content and tools without requiring macOS support.

1. Boot Camp with Windows
   • Install Windows 10 using Boot Camp Assistant on Intel-based Macs.
   • JW Library® for Windows supports Windows 10 Version 1903 or later, providing a fully supported desktop experience on the Windows partition.
   • Boot Camp is available only on Intel-based Macs and is not provided on Apple silicon.
2. Watchtower ONLINE LIBRARY™ in a browser
   • Access Watchtower ONLINE LIBRARY™ (wol.jw.org) in any modern browser on macOS.
   • Offers Bible text, publications, and research features with no installation, consistent across Intel and Apple silicon hardware.
   • Bookmarking the site enables quick access during study and meeting preparation.
3. iPhone or iPad alongside the Mac
   • Install JW Library® from the iOS or iPadOS App Store on supported devices.
   • Publications and media can be downloaded for offline use on the mobile device, while macOS can be used for notes, assignments, and supplementary tasks.
   • Platform features such as iCloud syncing and file sharing provide smooth handoff between mobile and desktop environments.

How to check Mac chip type

Confirming chip type is necessary because JW Library® on macOS requires Apple silicon and macOS 13.0 or later.

Method 1: About panel

• macOS Ventura or later: Open Apple menu  → System Settings → General → About.
  • Chip: Apple M1 (or later) → Apple silicon
  • Processor: Intel … → Intel-based Mac
• macOS Monterey or earlier: Open Apple menu  → About This Mac.
  • Chip: Apple M1 (or later) → Apple silicon
  • Processor: Intel … → Intel-based Mac

Method 2: System Information

• Open Apple menu  while holding Option and choose System Information…
  • In Hardware → Hardware Overview:
    • Field labeled Chip lists Apple M-series → Apple silicon
    • Field labeled Processor Name lists Intel → Intel-based Mac

Method 3: Terminal check

• Open Terminal and run:

uname -m

• Output arm64 → Apple silicon
• Output x86_64 → Intel-based Mac

Version reminder

• JW Library®: requires macOS 13.0 or later on Apple silicon.
• JW Library Sign Language®: requires macOS 11.0 or later on Apple silicon.

Conclusion

JW Library® on macOS targets Apple silicon and requires macOS 13.0 or later, with JW Library Sign Language® supporting Apple silicon on macOS 11.0 or later. Intel-based Macs are not supported through the Mac App Store pathway that enables selected iPhone and iPad apps to run on macOS. For Intel hardware, practical access paths remain available through JW Library® for Windows installed via Boot Camp and through Watchtower ONLINE LIBRARY™ in a web browser. iPhone and iPad continue to provide full mobile support, which complements Mac usage for notes and document work.

Planning for Apple silicon aligns with Apple’s current hardware lineup, performance characteristics, and developer tooling. Before installing, confirming chip type and macOS version prevents unnecessary troubleshooting. If platform support changes in the future, the Mac App Store listing and jw.org® help articles will reflect updated requirements. Until such changes appear, study workflows that rely on Apple silicon for macOS and alternative paths for Intel hardware offer a stable, low-maintenance approach for Bible reading, meeting preparation, and research.