In brief: For decades, users who wanted to use macOS without buying a Mac could build a Hackintosh. Hackintoshing became more difficult after Apple transitioned to in-house Arm processors, but at least two projects have recently emerged that aim to revive the practice on Snapdragon and x86 processors.
Users can now try an early version of a new Arm-to-x86 translation layer that aims to support macOS on most recent Intel and AMD processors. Elsewhere, another project has booted the operating system on a Snapdragon-powered Asus Zenbook with basic functionality.
Although Hackintoshes have existed since the 1980s, running macOS on non-Apple devices gained popularity in the early 2000s. Apple's shift from PowerPC to Intel processors in 2006 made the process much easier, since the Intel chips used for Windows devices were more widely available. However, the company's transition to Apple Silicon, a homegrown Arm architecture, was thought to have ended Hackintoshes for good.
– Miguel C (e/acc) 👁️ (@Acelogic_) October 22, 2026
Snapintosh, which engineer Miguel Cruz revealed last month, might be the first serious effort to break macOS free of Apple Silicon via a Qualcomm Snapdragon SoC. Brief social media clips show him booting the operating system, shifting between various desktop modes, and opening numerous programs on an Asus Zenbook A16 laptop, but much work remains.
Currently, Snapintosh only supports the Zenbook A16's Snapdragon X2 Elite processor, requires a Mac host, and doesn't work on battery power. Furthermore, Wi-Fi, audio, cameras, Bluetooth, sleep, and external displays don't work yet, and the OS can't maintain a stable 60 fps. It remains unclear when a beta will be available on the project's GitHub repository.
– Miguel C (e/acc) 👁️ (@Acelogic_) October 20, 2026
Meanwhile, engineer Tyler Smith is developing Stela, which uses an Arm-to-x86 translator to run macOS on a much broader range of PCs. The open beta supports Intel Nehalem or later and AMD Bulldozer or later. It also only requires 8GB of RAM and an Nvidia GTX 16-series or newer graphics card.
To try Stela, download the beta from the GitHub repository, run the setup executable on a Windows device, and select a USB stick as the installation destination. The online installer requires 8GB of free storage space, while the offline version requires 32GB, and the target device's installation drive requires 60GB. Like Snapintosh, Stela doesn't yet support Wi-Fi or audio, but Bluetooth works.
Interested users can discuss Stela and share tips on the project's Discord server.
The Hackintosh might be back, with macOS booting on Snapdragon and x86 PCs
