Python 2.7 in the Rear-View Mirror in Monterey 12.3
If you’re a Python developer who still relies on the decade-old Python 2.7, have you thought about how soon you’ll update, before customers start banging on your virtual door?
The latest macOS Monterey 12.3 beta release notes say Python 2.7 is removed in this update, and developers should use Python 3 or another language instead.
Looking at Python’s releases for macOS, Python 2.7 was released in July 2010, nearly twelve years before this article. Python.org lists the final release, Python 2.7.18, on April 20, 2020.
What to Do Now?
If I were on a project still being developed in Python 2, I’d drop the code into a lab environment, install the latest version of Python and refactor whatever no longer works. Sure, budgets and milestones need to be met, but so does the need for a working, secure and sustainable product.
It would be smart to recalculate and look for solutions: either port your Python 2 code to Python 3, or ship your Python 2 project as a self-contained executable with PyInstaller.
Python.org has a great guide to porting Python 2 code to Python 3. It’s a 5 to 10 minute read, and afterward you can start making decisions about your project’s future.
The buck doesn’t stop there. The guide also points to tools that help you find dependencies that may not work with Python 3, and to test and update your code.
PyInstaller can help you stay on legacy code a little longer. It bundles your application with its own Python interpreter, so users can run it without installing Python. Be aware that PyInstaller 3.6, released in January 2020, is the last version that supports Python 2.7; later versions are Python 3 only. Be careful with other “Python installer” tools too, because some haven’t been updated in a long time.
Closing Bytes and Bits
The last release of Python 2, version 2.7.18, came out on April 20, 2020, nearly two years ago. Python 3 has been out for a long time, so Python 2 disappearing from macOS shouldn’t surprise any developer.
As with any change in programming languages or technology, our projects need research, including a look at the risks. The language isn’t vanishing overnight; it just won’t be updated or shipped with macOS anymore.
The road ahead is full of breakage, changes, patches and updates for anyone sticking with Python 2.7. It’ll be rough for developers who hold fast, because customers may go elsewhere or build their own solutions. On the bright side, this change gives the people running the money train a valid reason to fund this kind of work.
If you’re a developer getting on the Python 3 train, you may be interested in the two-part series Vim as an Integrated Development Environment (IDE) for Python3?.
Written during the macOS Monterey 12.3 beta.
Edited in October 2026 for grammar and accuracy. Correction: the original said a Python 2 release of PyInstaller came out in January 2022. In fact, PyInstaller 3.6 from January 2020 was the last version to support Python 2.7.
Note, October 2026: macOS Monterey 12.3 shipped with Python 2.7 removed, as the beta release notes said it would.
