The quickest way to identify your Mac’s processor is built into macOS. Open the Apple menu , choose About This Mac, and look for the field labeled Chip. The value beside it is the installed Apple silicon chip name. If the window instead shows Processor followed by an Intel processor name, your Mac is Intel-based, not an Apple silicon Mac.
On newer macOS releases, you can find the same information at Apple menu > System Settings > General > About. You do not need to install an app, connect an accessory, or purchase a diagnostic tool.
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Use About This Mac to identify the chip
About This Mac is the shortest and most reliable route because it displays the processor category macOS uses for the Mac. Follow these steps:
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- Select About This Mac.
- Find the row labeled Chip.
- Read the name shown beside Chip. That is the Apple silicon chip installed in the Mac.
The field may show an Apple M-series name as it is identified on that Mac. Record the wording exactly if you need to provide the information to technical support or check an application’s compatibility requirements.
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What the label tells you
The label itself is important. A row titled Chip identifies an Apple silicon Mac. A row titled Processor identifies an Intel-based Mac and displays the Intel processor name. Apple’s support wording is explicit: “A Mac with an Intel processor is not a Mac with Apple silicon.” Do not treat the two labels as interchangeable.
Find the same information in System Settings
Macs running macOS versions with the redesigned settings interface may not present the information in the older About This Mac layout. Use this path instead:
- Open the Apple menu .
- Choose System Settings.
- Select General in the sidebar.
- Click About.
- Read the row labeled Chip for Apple silicon, or Processor for an Intel Mac.
Some versions make the distinction especially clear by showing Chip (Apple silicon) or Processor (Intel). The wording can vary slightly between macOS releases, but the category tells you what you need to know: Chip means Apple silicon; Processor means Intel.
If you are unsure which macOS layout you have
Try About This Mac first. If that command is not available in the expected form, open System Settings > General > About. Both screens are intended to expose the same processor distinction, so you do not need to search through unrelated settings such as Displays, Battery, or Privacy & Security.
Interpret the result correctly
| What you see | What it means | What to report |
|---|---|---|
| Chip followed by an Apple M-series name | The Mac uses Apple silicon. | Give the complete chip name shown in the row. |
| Processor followed by an Intel name | The Mac is Intel-based. | Give the complete Intel processor name shown in the row. |
| A model name without a Chip or Processor row | You have identified the Mac family, not necessarily its processor. | Open the detailed system report to confirm the processor identity. |
When someone asks whether a Mac is “M-series” or Intel, the field title is the decisive clue. Do not infer the processor solely from the product name, purchase year, case design, or the version of macOS installed.
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Do not confuse the Mac model with the chip
About This Mac can show both a model name and a chip name, but they answer different questions. A model name identifies the computer family and screen or enclosure configuration. The Chip row identifies the processor platform. Two Macs with similar model names can have different chips, and a single model family can span more than one processor generation.
If you are filling out a support form, include both values when the form asks for the Mac model and processor. If it asks only for the chip, copy the value next to Chip rather than substituting the model name.
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For repair, enterprise inventory, deployment, or compatibility work, you may also need the model identifier, serial number, memory details, or other hardware attributes. Those details are available in System Information or the expanded System Report, not just the short summary line in About This Mac.
Open System Report for a deeper hardware check
Use the detailed report when the basic screen does not answer the question, when you need an exact identifier, or when you are documenting a Mac for support.
Route through System Settings
- Open Apple menu > System Settings.
- Choose General.
- Open About.
- Select System Report.
The report exposes additional hardware data beyond the simplified About screen. Use the hardware overview and processor-related entries to verify the information, then copy the exact labels rather than paraphrasing them.
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Open System Information from the Apple menu
Apple also documents a keyboard-assisted route. Hold the Option key while opening the Apple menu , then choose System Information. This opens the detailed system-information utility directly. It is useful when you need more than the chip’s marketing name, such as a model identifier or serial number.
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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteThe two detailed-report routes serve the same purpose. Choose the one that matches the macOS interface you can see; there is no need to install a third-party utility.
Apple silicon model families: useful context, not a substitute for checking
Apple’s current support documentation lists the following Mac families and introductions as Apple silicon examples. Treat this as orientation only: Apple’s catalog changes, and a family or year by itself is not a reliable replacement for reading the Chip field.
| Mac family | Apple silicon introductions listed by Apple |
|---|---|
| MacBook Pro | Introduced in 2021 or later, plus the 13-inch M1 MacBook Pro introduced in 2020 |
| MacBook Air | Introduced in 2022 or later, plus the M1 MacBook Air introduced in 2020 |
| iMac | Introduced in 2021 or later |
| Mac mini | Introduced in 2020 or later |
| Mac Studio | Introduced in 2022 or later |
| Mac Pro | Introduced in 2023 |
| MacBook Neo | Listed by Apple among its current Apple silicon Mac models |
The exceptions in the MacBook Pro and MacBook Air rows are why a broad rule such as “every Mac from a certain year is Apple silicon” can produce a wrong answer. Use the on-device field whenever the Mac is available.
The T2 Security Chip does not answer the processor question
Some Intel-based Macs include Apple’s T2 Security Chip. Its presence does not mean that the Mac’s main processor is Apple silicon. T2 is a separate security component used in some Intel models.
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If you see a reference to T2 in a hardware report, do not use it to classify the Mac. Return to About This Mac or System Settings > General > About and check whether macOS labels the main component Chip or Processor.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Common situations and the right next step
You need a quick yes-or-no answer
Open About This Mac and inspect the field title. Chip means Apple silicon; Processor means Intel. You can stop there unless another person or application needs the full hardware record.
You need the exact chip name
Copy the complete value beside Chip, including the Apple M-series designation and any additional wording macOS displays. Do not shorten it to “M-series” if a support agent needs to distinguish one chip from another.
You need the serial number or model identifier too
Open System Report from System Settings > General > About, or hold Option while choosing Apple menu > System Information. The detailed utility contains information that the compact About screen may not show.
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You are checking a Mac for someone else
Have the person read the value aloud exactly as displayed, or ask for a screenshot that includes the field label. The label matters because a model name alone does not establish whether the processor is Apple silicon or Intel.
You are comparing two Macs
Check each Mac separately. Record the chip field for each one rather than assuming that matching product names, release years, or chassis designs imply matching processors.
Troubleshooting when the result is unclear
The About This Mac window shows a model name but no obvious chip row
Use System Settings > General > About and look specifically for Chip or Processor. If you still need confirmation or additional identifiers, open System Report from that page.
You see “Processor” and expected an M-series chip
Read the processor name shown after the label. A Processor row indicates an Intel-based Mac, even if the computer looks similar to an Apple silicon model or contains a T2 Security Chip.
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Record the full text beside Chip. The on-screen value is the authoritative name for that Mac’s installed Apple silicon chip; do not substitute a guessed generation based on the purchase date.
The Mac will not start normally
The built-in menu routes require macOS to be running and the user to reach the desktop. If you cannot open macOS, these instructions cannot display the on-device fields; use the Mac’s available service or recovery documentation rather than inferring the processor from its exterior.
Why checking the chip is useful
Processor identity affects how you answer compatibility, support, and deployment questions. An instruction written for an Apple silicon Mac may differ from one written for an Intel Mac, and technical support may ask for the exact chip name before diagnosing an issue. Providing the field label and its complete value removes ambiguity.
The check is also safer than relying on memory. Apple has sold overlapping Mac families and generations, and the same family name does not guarantee one processor type. Reading the current Mac’s own About screen gives you the result for that specific computer.
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Quick reference
- Fastest route: Apple menu > About This Mac.
- Apple silicon indicator: a row labeled Chip.
- Intel indicator: a row labeled Processor.
- Newer settings route: Apple menu > System Settings > General > About.
- Detailed hardware data: select System Report, or hold Option while choosing Apple menu > System Information.
- Important distinction: the model name identifies the Mac family; the chip or processor row identifies the main processor platform.
- Do not use as proof of Apple silicon: the presence of an Apple T2 Security Chip.
Availability and menu wording
Apple’s support page containing the current guidance was published May 15, 2026. Menu names and the list of Apple silicon Mac models can change as macOS and Apple’s product catalog evolve. If your screen uses slightly different wording, look for the same two concepts: Chip for Apple silicon and Processor for Intel, then use the detailed System Information view when you need an exact hardware record.
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