Apple has officially released its latest MacOS — Mojave, version 10.14. This new version highlights features such as a system-wide Dark Mode, Stacks, Dynamic Desktop backgrounds and several new apps. It also introduces a great new feature for photographers — gallery and EXIF information views in the MacOS Finder.

In my testing, the new OS has been very stable and without any major problems. But that doesn’t mean that there won’t be some compatibility issues in terms of third-party apps and devices.

Software

Update: There are some minor bugs in Photoshop CC, as mentioned below.

Adobe Lightroom Classic CC, Lightroom CC and Premiere CC work as expected under MacOS Mojave. There are two minor issues when it comes to Photoshop CC, as outlined below.

In Photoshop CC 2018 and earlier, pen pressure does not work and a busy cursor might display while painting. To resolve this issue, follow the steps outlined by Adobe here. Also note that if you’re using Dark Mode, several elements do not adapt, including the application frame/panels, dialogs, pop-up menus, panel menus, context menus and OS dialogs. Adobe recommends changing the interface settings to better match in Photoshop’s Preferences.

For Creative Suite users, if you have CS6, you should be able to continue using it like you always have. Older versions such as CS5 will continue to work — but Adobe warns of some possible compatibility issues. Furthermore, these were built on a 32-bit architecture, which Apple has stated will no longer be supported starting with MacOS 10.15 (which will most likely come out next fall). While 32-bit apps will continue to run in MacOS Mojave, you will most likely see some compromises made if you continue to use them in the long haul.

In terms of other popular apps for photographers and videographers, Skylum’s Luminar 2018, Aurora HDR 2019 (and 2018) and Photolemur 3 work as expected. The latest version of PerfectlyClear also works without issues.

Check for 32-bit apps

To find out if you have 32-bit apps, click the Apple logo in the upper left corner of the menu bar, then select About This Mac. Click on System Report.

In System Report, you’ll see a ton of options. In the sidebar, scroll and click where it says Applications. This will allow you to click on each application you have installed on your machine, and it’ll tell you if it is built in 64-bit or not.

Note that you might see some installers and uninstaller apps with a “No” next to 64-bit, which means those have not yet been updated. A notable one here is Adobe Application Manager; Adobe has already stated in a previous blog post they’re working on this. Another major one I saw was my Spyder5Elite color calibration tool, which is still using a 32-bit architecture.

Just note that while these apps should continue to work under MacOS Mojave, they will need to be updated in time for the next major MacOS release, 10.15.

Wacom tablets

Update: Wacom has released a new, MacOS Mojave compatible driver, version 6.3.31. Click here for more information.

This is where you need to be careful. In my testing, my Wacom Intuos Pro tablet connected, but stopped working every few minutes, despite staying connected.

I reached out to Wacom support, and they’ve stated they’re planning on releasing an update early this week. For now, your Wacom tablet should still work, but you might run into some trouble. I found that whenever I used my pen to scroll, the tablet would stop working. If you rely on a Wacom tablet on a constant basis, it’s best to wait until the driver update is released.

Other tablets might have similar issues, so be wary here. It’s best to check out your tablet’s support website for additional information on when and if MacOS Mojave will be supported.

ROES Print Ordering Software

If you order from a print lab, worry not — the ROES print ordering software works as expected under MacOS Mojave.

Conclusion

In my tests, MacOS Mojave is reliable in terms of performance and speed. I saw no issues when importing and editing a batch of photos into Lightroom Classic, and my iMac 5K system was just as speedy as it has been. Unless you rely on a Wacom tablet, you should be fine when it comes to updating.

Have any questions about compatibilities, or did you find something we couldn’t? Let us know in the comments below!