iOS apps on MacOS is pointless

[1096bimu]

Because all the actually popular commonly used, most useful apps one would want to run on MacOS, guess what they're all disabled on MacOS for who knows why.

I looked through every app I regularly use on iOS, NONE of them are available on MacOS, with the exception of one calculator app, but there are other calculator apps on MacOS that's the one I don't have to use on my computer.

Why just why? Why would the developers not allow it, and why would Apple allow the developers to not allow it?

The only iOS apps you can run are the ones you have no reason to run because the web version is much more powerful and easy to use on MacOS.

 

[Slartibart]

You are talking about which iOS/iPadOS apps? which version of MacOS? What meaning has “actually popular”? Which target audience are you referring to? Did you use the feedback option to report this directly to the app developers? Or at least to Apple? What do you expect from posting this here - why didn’t you search these forums first?

 

[ADGrant]

Because all the actually popular commonly used, most useful apps one would want to run on MacOS, guess what they're all disabled on MacOS for who knows why.

I looked through every app I regularly use on iOS, NONE of them are available on MacOS, with the exception of one calculator app, but there are other calculator apps on MacOS that's the one I don't have to use on my computer.

Why just why? Why would the developers not allow it, and why would Apple allow the developers to not allow it?

The only iOS apps you can run are the ones you have no reason to run because the web version is much more powerful and easy to use on MacOS.

The developers do not allow it because either they don't want to have to support it, or they have MacOS versions they would rather you use.

 

[theluggage]

Why just why? Why would the developers not allow it, and why would Apple allow the developers to not allow it?

I think the whole idea was something that Apple did because it was easy to do with Apple Silicon - not because it was ever going to be a killer feature. It probably benefitted from a lot of work that had to be done anyway to support the iOS device simulator used by developers and/or the Catalyst library for cross-platform iOS/MacOS apps.

One of the big points of keeping iOS and MacOS distinct was that you just don't design an app for a gesture-driven touchscreen on a handheld phone the same way that you do for a laptop or desktop. A lot of existing iPhone Apps will vary from awkward/frustrating to unusable with a mouse/pointer, not to mention all those Apps that just don't make sense without GPS, cellular radios & SIMS for ID, NFC, accelerometers, rear-facing cameras... So Apple really have to allow the developers to choose whether they think their Apps would be useful - or even usable - on Mac.

After all, if you've not got an iPhone you're probably not interested in iPhone Apps - whereas if you have got an iPhone it's probably in your pocket right now, and you might as well use it. Meanwhile, in most cases there's probably a better desktop equivalent.

More interesting is the Catalyst tech which doesn't allow existing iPhone Apps to run, but does allow developers to write one set of code that runs on both iOS and Mac and can take advantage of Mac features.

 

[nosnhojm]

I use the Channels ipad app on macOS. Most other apps either (1) have a native macOS app, or (2) want you to use their website so that they can better track and serve ads.

 

[jdb8167]

I use the Channels ipad app on macOS. Most other apps either (1) have a native macOS app, or (2) want you to use their website so that they can better track and serve ads.

I use Channels, MLB, NESN 360, and Overcast. They all work quite well in macOS. I'm happy they exist on macOS and work.

 

[Tagbert]

Because all the actually popular commonly used, most useful apps one would want to run on MacOS, guess what they're all disabled on MacOS for who knows why.

I looked through every app I regularly use on iOS, NONE of them are available on MacOS, with the exception of one calculator app, but there are other calculator apps on MacOS that's the one I don't have to use on my computer.

Why just why? Why would the developers not allow it, and why would Apple allow the developers to not allow it?

The only iOS apps you can run are the ones you have no reason to run because the web version is much more powerful and easy to use on MacOS.

You will probably have to ask those app publishers why they don’t allow their apps to be downloaded on a Mac. Others here have suggested some reasons (additional testing work, additional support, have a separate mac app, didn’t want to be bothered).

I’ve installed some of my iOS apps but almost never use them. It turns out that I do some things on my Mac and other things on my phone and not a lot of the same things on both.

 

[Rodan52]

None of this is Apple's fault, they have provided the option and capability, it's up to the developers to take advantage of it if they want to.

 

[spindude]

I do wish we could use apps like Netflix and Hulu so we could download shows for offline viewing for say and airplane. That was my biggest disappointment 2 years ago when I bought the m1 and sold my iPad Pro thinking “why do I need this iPad if I can download iOS apps” now I know why lol.

 

[MrGunny94]

I love the AnyConnect VPN iOS app on my Mac! Works great

 

[xraydoc]

While definitely not mission critical, there's an iOS app for monitoring my solar panels that I keep on my Mac as there's no macOS version of the app and, as far as I know, no web interface.

 

[Spaceboi Scaphandre]

There's some that work great on macOS. Fruit Ninja for example plays fantastically on the Apple Silicon Macs using the trackpad. I also use the Oculus app on my Mac. The old school anime streaming service RetroCrush's iPadOS app also works great on macOS

 

[cthompson94]

I think it was mainly a way to get the Apple Arcade on the Mac, but of course they had to make it open to developers to avoid legal woes. As many pointed out so far their favorite apps to use, I do wish that more developers utilized the the capability which I already understand is already fairly niche.

 

[MacsRgr8]

IMHO, running iOS apps on Macs is very messy.

At the start there was much unclarity about it...
Apple using this a feature and benefit for M1 based Macs, and customers expecting to find their favourite iOS app for on their Mac, only to be disappointed that the app was not made available as the developers were scrambling to disallow using their apps to be used as they were never designed to work without a touch interface.

Other apps pulled as devs didn't want their apps to be used on Macs for various other reasons (YouTube, Netflix, others..)

 

[mr_roboto]

Why would the developers not allow it

Because they don't want to provide end user support for running their app in an environment they haven't tested on or designed for. Some iOS apps are clunky or even broken on Mac.

I fire up Overcast on my M1 Mac every so often. This is a popular iOS podcast app, an alternative to Apple's own Podcasts app. It works OK, but there are a few rough edges. Overcast's developer, Marco Arment, likes to host and guest on podcasts (go figure), so I've heard him discuss this. He's done very little to help Overcast work better on the Mac - just followed best iOS design practices - and has found out that people will absolutely leave scathing one star reviews just because its interface is a little confusing on Mac, even though it's mostly OK and all core features are functional.

why would Apple allow the developers to not allow it?

Because developers who don't want to put extra work into polishing or even rewriting for Mac would rightfully be up in arms if they had no way to avoid getting one star reviews and other forms of bad press. Also, some developers license commercial libraries for use in their app, and the licensing terms may not allow listing in both app stores without paying more money.

Also, whenever the app publisher is some non computer related business, like restaurants, odds are very good that they don't employ anyone who knows a thing about developing apps, and farmed the work out to one of the app dev shops which do contract work. These business owners aren't necessarily eager to pay for additional work on a perfectly functional iOS app just because Apple decided to let Apple Silicon Macs run it. That's an extra expense they didn't plan for, and may not perceive as useful to their business.

In short, it's just real world concerns. Yes, it would be lovely if there was zero friction and Apple could get away with unilaterally flipping that switch and everything worked perfectly, but that's not the world we live in.

 

[smoking monkey]

whereas if you have got an iPhone it's probably in your pocket right now, and you might as well use it. Meanwhile, in most cases there's probably a better desktop equivalent.

I agree except for finance apps. In my experience finance apps are superior in their app form on the iPhone over the web versions on a computer.

 

[Madhatter32]

I agree except for finance apps. In my experience finance apps are superior in their app form on the iPhone over the web versions on a computer.

Definitely not broker apps but maybe banking apps.

 

[PianoPro]

I like the feature and use a number of iPhone apps on my Mac. Probably my most used one controls the thermostat on my Carrier HVAC system so I can change temperature or fan while sitting at my Mac without using my phone. Another controls my landscape irrigation system that I've used at odd times in hot weather from my Mac. Others bring up some electronics reference information which is nice on my Mac monitors instead of a phone screen. Just some examples I've run into.

 

[boss.king]

Because all the actually popular commonly used, most useful apps one would want to run on MacOS, guess what they're all disabled on MacOS for who knows why.

I looked through every app I regularly use on iOS, NONE of them are available on MacOS, with the exception of one calculator app, but there are other calculator apps on MacOS that's the one I don't have to use on my computer.

Why just why? Why would the developers not allow it, and why would Apple allow the developers to not allow it?

The only iOS apps you can run are the ones you have no reason to run because the web version is much more powerful and easy to use on MacOS.

Why would they not allow it? Because it might not be a great experience if it wasn’t designed for a Mac, and then the dev gets one-star reviews for something they didn’t want to put out in the first place.