Homebrew 7.0.0 lands with a native Mac app and a vulnerability scanner, Intel drops to Tier 3

Homebrew 7.0.0 , the new version of the most widely used package manager on the Mac, shipped on September 13, 2026. It brings a native macOS app, a command that checks installed packages for vulnerabilities, and Intel Macs moved down to a reduced support tier. It's the first major leap since June's 6.0.0, touching speed, security and end of support for older hardware all at once.

The announcement carries the byline of Mike McQuaid, who has led the project for years. Homebrew launched in 2009 as an alternative to MacPorts and over time became the tool millions of developers use to install software from the command line, with a simple brew install . The repository now counts more than 49,500 stars on GitHub, remains written in Ruby and ships under the two-clause BSD license. Version 7 doesn't upend daily use, but it changes a lot under the hood.

Today, I'm proud to announce Homebrew 7.0.0. The most significant changes since 6.0.0 are faster installations, stronger sandboxing, native macOS app, vulnerability checks, advisory database, end of macOS 10.15 support and Intel Macs to Tier 3. — Mike McQuaid (@MikeMcQuaid) September 13, 2026

Today, I'm proud to announce Homebrew 7.0.0. The most significant changes since 6.0.0 are faster installations, stronger sandboxing, native macOS app, vulnerability checks, advisory database, end of macOS 10.15 support and Intel Macs to Tier 3.

What changes in Homebrew 7

There are six major changes, as McQuaid himself listed them. Faster installs and upgrades, tighter sandboxing, a native macOS app, vulnerability checks backed by an advisory database, the end of macOS 10.15 Catalina support, and Intel Macs dropping to Tier 3. The first three improve the experience for anyone using brew every day. The other three mark a shift in direction on security and hardware support.

Anyone working in the terminal every day will notice the speed right away. brew install , brew reinstall and brew upgrade now overlap package preparation with downloading, instead of doing one after the other. Homebrew launches fewer subprocesses at startup and reads terminal dimensions directly, which removes a known hang with certain utilities. brew config and brew cleanup have also been sped up.

brew vulns, the missing vulnerability scanner

The most interesting security addition is brew vulns . Homebrew was the last major package manager without native vulnerability checking, and now it closes that gap. The command scans the formulae installed on your Mac and checks them against the Homebrew Advisory Database, no extra taps required. The database uses the OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities) format, the same open schema Google launched to catalog flaws in open-source software, with records freely reusable under the CC0 license.

The command accepts several useful options. You can filter by severity with --severity=high , include dependencies with --deps , check an entire Brewfile, or see only the flaws that already have a fix. It's a timely topic. Anyone following software supply chain security knows how much compromised packages can hurt, as in the recent attack that planted roughly 2,000 malicious packages on RubyGems . A built-in check, with no third-party software, raises the bar for everyone.

BrewUI, the native Mac app

For years, Homebrew was terminal-only. Version 7 brings BrewUI , the official graphical interface for macOS. You install it with a command, brew install homebrew-app . It requires macOS Tahoe 26 or later. The app lets you browse packages, them, and see installed versions and dependencies. One detail aimed at people who want to learn, it always shows the brew command behind every action, so the graphical interface never hides what's actually happening.

It's a choice that says something how the project is changing. Homebrew was built by and for people who live in the terminal. For many of them, a button-driven app is superfluous. But the package manager is now used by people who install a Mac app without knowing a line of Ruby, maybe tools like OmniVoice for local voice cloning or alternative browsers like Helium . Giving these people a visual showcase makes sense and takes nothing away from those who stay loyal to the command line.

Tighter sandboxing, eight flaws closed

Security doesn't stop at the scanner. The company has, however, closed eight advisories, ranging from high to low severity, and tightened sandboxing across operations. Sandboxed builds now block reading the folder by default. The package manager rejects configurations where the real and effective user IDs don't match before it even reads them. On Linux, the old Bubblewrap gives way to Landlock, a kernel mechanism that works without elevated Docker permissions.

Sandboxing, to be clear, mostly limits accidental damage and adds protection during installation. It shrinks the exposed surface when a formula does something it shouldn't, without promising to stop every targeted attack. macOS security remains a touchy subject, as the case of Deathray showed, the web page that could freeze a Mac without Apple treating it as a bug . Every extra layer matters.

Intel Macs to Tier 3, Catalina out

The part that will spark debate involves Intel hardware. Homebrew moves x86_64 Macs to Tier 3 , the lowest support level. In practice, existing precompiled packages (the so-called bottles) stick around, but updated formulae may require compiling from source, because the infrastructure that automatically generates Intel bottles has been retired. Homebrew still runs on Intel, just without official support from the project. Full removal is set for September 1, 2027.

The downgrade isn't a surprise. It was announced back in August 2025 and repeated in the 5.0.0 release notes in November 2025. Alongside it, macOS 10.15 Catalina and earlier versions exit the stage, removed immediately. macOS Sonoma 14 also drops to Tier 3, while full support with ready-made bottles goes to Apple Silicon. Intel Mac owners won't be stranded tomorrow, but the road ahead is clear.

Homebrew 7's support tiers

How to update to Homebrew 7.0.0

The update is painless for most users. Homebrew updates itself whenever you run a command, so 7.0.0 arrives without you having to do anything special. If you've turned off auto-update with the HOMEBREW_NO_AUTO_UPDATE variable, just run brew update by hand to move to the new version. One practical tip, run brew vulns at least once before updating, so you can immediately see if any of your installed packages have a known flaw.

There's also something new for people who want to install without Xcode. Version 7 adds a .pkg installer that places precompiled casks without needing the Xcode command line tools, but it requires macOS Sequoia 15 or later and only works on Apple Silicon. For developers who maintain taps, several things change around post_install blocks, deprecated in favor of declared steps, with warnings to third-party taps through December 11, 2027.

Frequently asked questions Homebrew 7.0.0

1. What is Homebrew 7.0.0?

It's the new version of the package manager for macOS and Linux , released on September 13, 2026. It adds the BrewUI graphical app, the brew vulns command for security checks, faster installs and tighter sandboxing. It also moves Intel Macs to a reduced support tier.

2. How do you update Homebrew to version 7?

In most cases it updates itself. Homebrew runs auto-update with every command. If you've disabled this with HOMEBREW_NO_AUTO_UPDATE, run brew update manually. There's no need to reinstall anything, and packages you already have stay right where they are.

3. What does the brew vulns command do?

It looks for known vulnerabilities in the packages you've installed. It checks formulae against the Homebrew Advisory Database in OSV format, with no extra taps required. You can filter by severity, include dependencies, and see only the flaws that already have a fix.

4. Does Homebrew 7 still work on Intel Macs?

Yes, but with reduced support. Intel Macs move to Tier 3, so existing precompiled bottles remain but new formulae may require compiling from source. Intel support ends completely on September 1, 2027.

5. Which macOS versions are no longer supported?

macOS 10.15 Catalina and earlier versions were removed immediately. Sonoma 14 also drops to Tier 3, with no new bottles. Full support with ready-made packages goes to Apple Silicon Macs running Tahoe 26 or later. The .pkg installer requires at least Sequoia 15.

Homebrew 7.0.0 doesn't rewrite how you use brew . And that's fine. It does three concrete things that matter. It makes installs faster, it finally gives a built-in vulnerability scanner to anyone installing software from the command line, and it puts a graphical app to the terminal for those who want one. Intel Macs pay the price, sliding toward their final exit in September 2027. If you're running an up-to-date Apple Silicon Mac, 7 is pure upside. If you're still on Intel or Catalina, now is the time to plan the jump.

The full release notes are on the official Homebrew blog , the source code is in the project's GitHub repository , the vulnerability database is on the Homebrew Advisory Database , and the support tier details are in the official documentation . The format used for the advisories is OSV.dev 's. For questions or reports, use the form at the bottom of the page.