Now that we can run IOS apps on M1 processors, how well do they work? Could you use get by without an iPad or iPhone and just run the apps on a M1 Mac?
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
IOS apps on Macs. How well do they work?
- Thread starter jerryk
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Not very well in my opinion if you are talking about user-experience. Lots of them will not resize, and the end result is that you can only use a small portion of your screen. Moreover, lot of apps just don't optimize non-touch inputs, and you have to interact the app in a weird manner.
Funny how it seems to be the received wisdom so far that iOS apps aren't useful on the Mac. I respectfully disagree with the above comments, and in fact when I went back to use my old cheesegrater Mac Pro -- which has the highest-end CPUs they supported, plus a RAID 0 SSD array, but is still slower than the MacBook -- for the first time after about a week with my M1 MacBook, the iOS apps were the main thing I missed.
I use too many of them to remember a complete list, but off the top of my head: Spotify, TuneIn, Gmail, Facebook, Evernote, Infuse, eBay, Amazon, Charles Schwab, Stanford Credit Union, Simple Radio, BBC Sounds, CVS, State Farm. They have supported the fingerprint reader when they need to, and almost all work as well as they should or at least 99% of how they should.
It's quite true that only some support resizing, but that's not really a demerit, at least for. I use these apps as a familiar way to check the status of various things or start music playing, just the way I would on an iPhone or an iPad. Having them available on my MacBook is one of the best things about it for me.
All that said, the value to me is because I already used the same apps on my iPhone and iPad, and in fact many of them had to be installed using IPA files extracted with the help of the iPad and iMazing. I wouldn't consider being able to run iOS apps on a Mac as a replacement for having an iDevice, only as a superb adjunct to it!
I use too many of them to remember a complete list, but off the top of my head: Spotify, TuneIn, Gmail, Facebook, Evernote, Infuse, eBay, Amazon, Charles Schwab, Stanford Credit Union, Simple Radio, BBC Sounds, CVS, State Farm. They have supported the fingerprint reader when they need to, and almost all work as well as they should or at least 99% of how they should.
It's quite true that only some support resizing, but that's not really a demerit, at least for. I use these apps as a familiar way to check the status of various things or start music playing, just the way I would on an iPhone or an iPad. Having them available on my MacBook is one of the best things about it for me.
All that said, the value to me is because I already used the same apps on my iPhone and iPad, and in fact many of them had to be installed using IPA files extracted with the help of the iPad and iMazing. I wouldn't consider being able to run iOS apps on a Mac as a replacement for having an iDevice, only as a superb adjunct to it!
Last edited:
This is exactly the point.
We need good enough native apps, not the ones that is not even designed for the platform.
For me, I'm used to use the browsers on Mac to do those iOS Apps mostly do. Even on iPads, as the performance is quite solid now, I'm using browsers to replace the apps if possible. If I'm using a downloaded app, then that App will either provide functionality that is not available in the browser, or provide better experience than the browser, or that App is not available in browser at all. Most iOS apps won't provide better experience than the browser if it cannot even support resizing, at least in my opinion, then I have one less reason to download that specific app. For the functionality, if the interaction is more optimized for iOS devices, then it might be less useable on a Mac. It might heavily rely on multi-touch gestures, even gyroscope inputs, which is either missing or have to be simulated. This does lead to reduced functionality and worse user experience.
So in a word, they do work, and they are useful sometimes, but they are not generally work "well".
To each their own. I know some people are not interested in the M1’s ability to run iOS apps (“these apps just duplicate tabs in a web browser” and similar jibes), but the apps are a lot faster to use than web pages, I don’t want a browser cluttered with tabs, and creating “Chrome apps” is a hassle especially since I mostly don’t use Chrome. (I know there are also a couple of utilities — Fluid, which is now pretty dated, and Unite, which is $15 — that can create Mac web apps, but the results are not good as iOS ones.)
Many of the iOS apps also make better use of screen real estate than web or Mac native equivalents. They are not useful "sometimes," they're useful all the time.
And again, some of the apps (ones for the Elac subwoofer, controlling a Yamaha home theater receiver, changing settings on my EarStudio headphone amp) have no web equivalents.
Many of the iOS apps also make better use of screen real estate than web or Mac native equivalents. They are not useful "sometimes," they're useful all the time.
And again, some of the apps (ones for the Elac subwoofer, controlling a Yamaha home theater receiver, changing settings on my EarStudio headphone amp) have no web equivalents.
Didn’t work for Android on Chromebook either. Yes some apps do and work well. The overall experience, however, is not Apple like. Developers apps were opted in by default. Many will turn off when reviews start to tank and there is more work to support without extra monetization.
Some iPhone apps don’t even work well on iPad. It will be like the Touch Bar on a MacBook Pro, some will use and love. Some will try and abandon, and others will flat out hate it.
If I can perform a function without an app, I will always use a browser first. Twitter and YouTube are examples.
Some iPhone apps don’t even work well on iPad. It will be like the Touch Bar on a MacBook Pro, some will use and love. Some will try and abandon, and others will flat out hate it.
If I can perform a function without an app, I will always use a browser first. Twitter and YouTube are examples.
Obviously being out-voted, but you haven't changed my mind. And Twitter and YouTube are great examples of where apps provide a superior experience!
This is a start of a longer journey and Apple had to start somewhere. M1 has given that opportunity and so right now it’s just there - apps are not really optimized for the Mac. I hardly use iOS apps in my M1 MBA.
I guess it depends how much you used and liked the apps on an iPhone and iPad?
To those purists who would rather use web browsers for sites where good iOS apps are available, how "Apple-like" are those web sites you're using?
To those purists who would rather use web browsers for sites where good iOS apps are available, how "Apple-like" are those web sites you're using?
It would be scary if I changed your mind. Built with choices cuz we're all different. But I love to TALK about differences.
Agreed, and the overall point is that the Apple ecosystem is now offering even more choices that no one else can match. (I haven't tried Android apps on a Chromebook, but I have windowed Android apps on a Samsung tablet running DeX -- interesting but a way inferior experience to what Apple offers.)
wonderful. I'm able to run my house security system ios app on my Mac now as well as some stock trading ios apps and a IP phone app that i was only able to use on my iPhone.
Not a purist, but, Apple Like, to me, is control over an experience that just works. MacOS has been a different breed than iOS. They are starting to merge, that’s okay. In most cases, it’s desirable.
But Banking, for example, I have 6 apps that I have on my phone, that are for Credit Card or my bank. They work well. But they don’t have the utility that using the website provides.
I have 20 apps where I can order food on my phone. But Chick-Fil-A, has me enter my slot number when I pick up curbside. Can’t use my laptop to order.
Notes, reminders, weather, messages, already lend themselves well using universal app like experiences.
Most my other apps, while on iPhone have an immersive tactile experience, scrolling thru Twitter with the touch of a finger, but opening on a 13 in screen, scrolling with trackpad in a little un resizable window wouldn’t be fun.
Twitter already has a MacOS app that works like iPhone app, but still for speed and link following, prefer browser.
Infinite Painter updated to take advantage of M1 Mac.
This is a digital painting app for iOS/iPadOS. The developer himself said they added this "compatibility" to use Infinite Painter in Sidecar mode, so it will take advantage from more powerful resources. This app already perform well on iPad, but it needs the higher amount of RAM available on desktop Mac.
I don't know if it's currently usable on Sidecar mode. Will it run on full screen mode some way? My M1 Mini will come this monday, i will check that.
This is a digital painting app for iOS/iPadOS. The developer himself said they added this "compatibility" to use Infinite Painter in Sidecar mode, so it will take advantage from more powerful resources. This app already perform well on iPad, but it needs the higher amount of RAM available on desktop Mac.
I don't know if it's currently usable on Sidecar mode. Will it run on full screen mode some way? My M1 Mini will come this monday, i will check that.
I like having the ability to run them, even if some aren't perfect. Not having to go grab my iPad or iPhone to get something quick from one of my favorite iOS apps has been nice.