FileMaker 18 End of Life: What to Do Now

Chabuduo

FileMaker 18 End of Life:
What to Do Now

Answers to the most common questions about the Mac warning, the end of support, and replacing older FileMaker systems.

By Martin Raasch, Chabuduo GmbH, Berlin · Last updated: 3 November 2026

In short

  • The Mac warning means: from macOS 28 (autumn 2027), FileMaker 18 will no longer launch on newer Macs (late 2020 onwards).
  • There have been no security updates since June 2021, and the version was never certified for Windows 11.
  • Two options: upgrade FileMaker or replace the system. The deciding factors are user count and complexity.
  • A replacement runs without downtime: old and new systems work in parallel until the new one has proven itself.

Questions at a glance

My Mac shows the warning “Support Ending for Intel-based Apps” when I launch FileMaker. What does that mean?

Nothing happens today: you can dismiss the warning, and FileMaker 18 keeps working under macOS 26 and 27. But it sets a deadline. With macOS 28, expected in autumn 2027, FileMaker 18 will no longer launch on newer Macs (late 2020 onwards).

The reason: the message comes from macOS, not from FileMaker. FileMaker 18 is still built for Intel processors and runs on newer Macs only through the Rosetta translation layer. Apple is removing Rosetta with macOS 28 and has shown the warning since macOS 26.4 (March 2026) whenever an affected app is launched. Only FileMaker Pro 19.3 (June 2021) and later run without Rosetta. On Intel Macs and on Windows, FileMaker 18 keeps running, but without security updates and, on Windows 11, without the vendor’s certification. The full text of the warning reads “Support Ending for Intel-based Apps – This version of “FileMaker Pro 18 Advanced” will not open in a future release of macOS”.

So by autumn 2027 you need to have decided whether to upgrade to a current FileMaker version or to replace the system. Both paths need lead time; a replacement takes several months depending on scope. The questions below help with that decision.

Does FileMaker 18 have to be replaced?

No. But it cannot stay as it is. FileMaker 18 has received no security updates since 25 June 2021. The vendor never certified this version for Windows 11; official Windows 11 support starts with FileMaker 19.4. On newer Macs (late 2020 onwards), FileMaker 18 runs only through the Rosetta translation layer, which Apple is removing with macOS 28 (expected autumn 2027).

There are two options: upgrade to a current FileMaker version, or replace the system with a new application. Upgrading can make sense for complex databases with few users. Replacement pays off more with many users and a manageable database, because the per-user licence costs disappear.

How does a replacement work?

  1. Assessment: What tasks does the system perform, and who works with it, and how?
  2. Market check: Is there standard software that covers these tasks? If so, we support the move to it.
  3. Prototype: Otherwise, a first draft of the new application is built on the basis of the existing database structure.
  4. Development: The application is implemented step by step or in one block.
  5. Trial operation: The new application works with the original data. Users check whether it meets their requirements.
  6. Cutover: Data migration and go-live, followed by a support phase.

Our database has grown over the years and is barely documented. How is it rebuilt?

With administrator access, a Database Design Report can be exported from FileMaker Pro Advanced. It describes tables, fields, relationships, scripts and layouts completely, regardless of how well the system has been documented so far. Without that access, we reconstruct structure and logic from the user interface, the data and the workflows.

The result is not a 1:1 copy. The functions are carried over; cumbersome workflows and navigation paths are simplified along the way. Permissions are also reconsidered: the starting point is the existing access model, which is often very coarse in FileMaker databases. Together we define who may see and change what in future.

Step-by-step replacement or all at once?

That depends on how intensively the system is used. If it is only needed occasionally for a fixed process, a short test phase followed by a one-step cutover is usually enough. If many areas are used daily, it makes more sense to replace them area by area, starting with the part that causes the most trouble in daily work. The decision is made after the assessment.

What happens to duplicate, incomplete or contradictory data?

Data can be cleaned before the migration, or migrated unchanged and cleaned later in the new system. If a contact has three phone numbers, the new system can initially hold three numbers as well.

During the migration, the migration program checks the data against fixed rules, for example whether phone numbers contain letters. Conspicuous or contradictory records are flagged and clarified with the people responsible. Data that is no longer required, such as old payment details, can be dropped during the migration. This follows the GDPR principle of data minimisation.

How is personal data protected during the migration?

Only the project team has access to the data, to the same extent as during maintenance. Legally, as with maintenance, this is governed by a data processing agreement under Art. 28 GDPR.

We use AI to write the migration program and its validation rules based on the database structure: tables, fields, field types. The AI never sees the contents of the database. Synthetic sample data is used instead. If real sample data is required, we use a local AI to anonymise and alter the data, so original data never has to be passed to third parties. The migration program runs locally, on our migration machine or, on request, on a computer on your premises. During development, testing is done with copies of the data. Only in trial operation does the new application work with the original data.

Where is our data after the cutover?

In an SQL database on a server, as before with FileMaker Server, just with different technology. The server can be on your premises or in a data centre of your choice. Data stays on the migration machine only for the duration of the migration.

How long will we be unable to work?

No downtime is required. During the transition, both systems run in parallel. FileMaker remains the system of record; the new application accesses its data, reading and, where needed, writing with a short delay. The cutover happens once the new application has proven itself in daily use. The hard switch between old and new system takes place outside working hours and does not disrupt regular operations.

On your side, two tasks mainly arise: answering questions about the data, and testing the new application before the cutover.

How much training is needed?

The new application follows the interaction patterns of common web applications, for example in navigation and menus. The rollout includes a training session showing what has changed and what has stayed the same. Every page of the application has its own help explaining the elements and workflows. Some adjustment is still needed, because some procedures and terms change.

What if something is missing or does not work after the cutover?

The FileMaker file is archived and can still be opened with a working FileMaker installation. Independently of that, there is a complete export of all legacy data in a readable table format that can be used without FileMaker.

In the period right after go-live we support the system closely and can intervene at short notice if errors occur.

Will our interfaces to other systems keep working?

Yes. Existing connections, for example to accounting, are reimplemented in the new application. All functions of the new application run internally through a programming interface (API), so further systems can be connected as well. For comparison: FileMaker offers the Data API with licence-dependent data volume, plus ODBC.

Will the new system become the next legacy system, and how dependent on Chabuduo will we be?

The new application is based on established open-source technologies, for example the Python programming language and the Django framework. These are maintained by large developer communities and updated regularly. To keep the system from ageing again, it should be maintained and updated continuously; an annual maintenance budget should be planned for.

You receive the source code in a versioned Git repository, system documentation and the user help. Maintenance can be taken on by anyone familiar with these standard technologies: your own IT, another service provider, or us.

Your question isn’t here?

Write to us at info@chabuduo.de. Chabuduo GmbH in Berlin keeps FileMaker systems running, documents them through reverse engineering, and, where needed, replaces them step by step with web applications based on Python and Django.

Sources

Last updated: 3 November 2026. We update this page when Claris or Apple announce new dates.

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