Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Computing
  3. News

Apple plans to bring iOS apps to MacOS later this year

Jayce Wagner
By

Meltdown
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Despite reportedly pushing some iOS features down the road, it looks like Mac users might see some cross-compatible iOS apps show up in the Mac App Store before long. According to MacRumors, the framework which would allow iOS apps to run on MacOS is in the works for release later this year.

There is no word on how exactly it would work, which apps would be available cross-platform, or if it would be a universal framework that would work with any iOS app, but we do have a few clues as to how it could. Currently, as MacRumors reports, MacOS uses a framework called UXKit which is similar in function to Apple’s UIKit, which is used to create user interfaces for iOS apps. That means there is already a bit of overlap between these behind-the-scenes tools, making a closer integration between iOS and MacOS a shorter leap than it might appear.

Recommended Videos

MacRumors speculates that the public announcement could come at the Worldwide Developers Conference in June, with a beta test following in the summer and a public release likely coming in September or October. The plans were reportedly announced to Apple employees in a meeting with software engineering head Craig Federighi in January.

Related

“Apple’s move to delay some features was announced to employees at a meeting earlier this month by software chief Craig Federighi. The company is looking to address criticisms that it has put new products and features ahead of ensuring quality,” Axios reports.

Bringing iOS apps to MacOS would put Apple’s flagship operating system in direct competition with Microsoft’s Universal Windows Platform — a similar framework designed to allow apps to run on various platforms seamlessly. With both operating system giants moving toward their own solutions to unify their respective desktop and mobile environments, it will be easier than ever for developers to create platform agnostic applications that work in a variety of environments.

In Apple’s case, it’s an intriguing move considering iOS is a much more mature and robust platform than Microsoft’s Windows 10 Mobile ever was. Bringing iOS apps to MacOS would open the doors to a large existing ecosystem, provided the implementation works seamlessly. Otherwise, it could just mean your Mac has access to a bunch of new apps you will never use.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Jayce Wagner
Jayce Wagner
Former Digital Trends Contributor
A staff writer for the Computing section, Jayce covers a little bit of everything -- hardware, gaming, and occasionally VR.
Here’s why I finally gave up on using Safari on my Mac
A MacBook owner using Google Sheets.

I have a web browser confession to make: I’m an inveterate tab hoarder. I’ve tried to change. I've tried to cull open tabs and tried to resist opening new ones -- but somehow the open tab counter just keeps on rising. At this point, I think I’m beyond saving.

What I’ve learned is that I need a web browser that can accommodate me, that has learned to accept my tab-based failings without judgement or chastisement. And after many years of trying, it turns out that Safari is not that browser.
The tab problem

Read more
As a recent Mac convert, here’s what has surprised me most
Apple MacBook Pro 16 front view showing display and keyboard.

When I transitioned to all-Apple computing, I knew there would be challenges. I assumed there would be many days and weeks of awkwardness before I truly felt at home on my Mac (and iPad, iPhone, and Apple Watch).

That's why it surprised me when I discovered how smooth much of the transition actually was. Here's everything I learned along the way, along with some tips on how I made it as seamless as possible.
Retraining my muscle memory
Both Windows and macOS have various features and functionality that aren't exactly hidden, but aren't entirely intuitive, either. Things like keyboard shortcuts, settings, windows management, and more build up over time. They get burned into our muscle memory, both physically and mentally. Switching to a new platform requires unlearning the old and learning the new.

Read more
Here’s why 2024 is going to be a slow year for the Mac
The 14-inch MacBook Pro with M3 Max chip seen from behind.

We’ve finally made it into 2024, and if you’re of the Apple persuasion, it feels like there’s a huge amount to look forward to this year. Yet that’s not true for everything Apple makes -- in fact, this could be an incredibly quiet 12 months for the Mac.

I recently wrote about how 2024 is going to be packed with major releases from Apple, yet among all the goodies that will be coming our way this year, there’s only one Mac announcement that I’d consider notable for fans of Apple’s computers. And even then, I’m talking about the MacBook Air getting the M3 chip, something the MacBook Pro got back in 2023.

Read more