14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft has just announced that the latest version of Microsoft Defender for Endpoint on Mac computers now supports Apple Silicon, so the application runs natively on Apple Silicon.
Apple launched Apple Silicon with much fanfare the last fall, and since then, the entire developer world has been working hard on updating the software to run natively on the M1 chip.
Microsoft included, as the Redmond-based software giant wants to make the most of the new chip design and provide its customers with the best possible support.
This week, the company announced that its Microsoft Defender for Endpoint on Mac natively supports Apple Silicon thanks to the latest update. Version 101.40.84 and later support the M1 chip, and you must be running macOS version 11, however, only computers enrolled in the Beta and Preview channels would get it at first.
Microsoft says all devices would receive the native experience in the coming weeks.
Rollout currently under way
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint will therefore land on the Mac as part of a universal package that would work on both M1-powered and Intel computers.
“With the native M1 support, Microsoft Defender for Endpoint on Mac no longer requires the Rosetta 2 emulator to function on M1-based Big Sur devices. Microsoft Defender for Endpoint does not explicitly take any action on the Rosetta 2. If the Rosetta 2 is no longer needed on a device, it is the responsibility of a user or an organization to remove it,” Microsoft explains.
“After successfully deploying and activating the latest update, the on-device experience will remain unchanged. The Microsoft Defender for Endpoint on Mac agent will function on M1-based devices in the same way it functions on Intel-based Mac devices.”
The feature lineup obviously remains unchanged, as the full focus of the update is to take advantage of the performance boost brought by Apple Silicon.