Can't install new Anki 25.09 with Mac

Anki Help
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It sounds as if you might have previously migrated from an old, Intel-based Mac to your Apple Silicon MacBook. If so, you might have transferred some runs-on-Intel-only binaries from your old computer to your new one. The old Intel binaries are now interferring when you try to run Anki.

There is a fast workaround that is likely to work, enabling Rosetta for the Terminal app, to allow it to run Intel binaries. However, this is not the best solution. It’s just a workaround. The better, actual fix would be to find and remove the interferring Intel binaries.

  • If you previously installed Command Line Tools on your old Intel Mac and transferred them to your new Apple Silicon Mac, deleting and re-installing them might fix the issue: sudo rm -rf /Library/Developer/CommandLineTools to delete, xcode-select --install to re-install.
  • Check the output of env to see if there might be incorrect python or architecture environment variables set.
  • Check the output of echo $PATH to see if there might be incorrect binary paths somewhere ahead in your PATH.
  • Check the output of which install_name_tool to make sure an incorrect version isn’t being run.
  • If you previously installed Conda/Anaconda/Python, deleting the old installation might help.
  • Deleting uv cache might be something to try.
  • If none of those help, it might take more work to track down the offending binaries.

Regarding the Rosetta workaround:

  • Rosetta support will eventually be removed.
  • macOS 27 will be the last version with Rosetta support.
    • macOS 27 will continue to be supported until September 2029.
    • Starting around September 2027 new computers will come with macOS 28 installed, and macOS 28 will not have Rosetta.
  • If you use the workaround, I recommend that when you get your next computer, do not migrate your old computer (to avoid transferring the problem to your new computer). Instead, manually transfer the specific files you want and re-install other apps from scratch.
  • To actually enable the Rosetta workaround: In a Finder window, browse to Applications → Utilities, right click on the Terminal app, select Get Info, then enable “Open using Rosetta” in the General section.