A few questions regarding iOS apps on M1...

[Apple Knowledge Navigator]

I've yet to see a lot of information regarding how iOS apps run the new M1 Macs, so I wanted to get users thoughts on a few features.

• Can the windows be resized, either proportionally or to any dimensions?
• With mouse/trackpad input, is there an option to have a visual reference point, such as a cursor?
• Roughly speaking, what percentage of your iPad/iPhone apps are available?

Thanks

 

[Gnattu]

Can the windows be resized, either proportionally or to any dimensions?

It depends, most of the Apps I've tested do not resize.

With mouse/trackpad input, is there an option to have a visual reference point, such as a cursor?

Yes, the default is just use your mourse/trackpad like you are using a regular Mac App. If you enable touch input alternatives, you can press option, then your trackpad will become a simulated touchscreen, and each "click" will show a position indicator on the screen.

Roughly speaking, what percentage of your iPad/iPhone apps are available?

If you are talking about App Store, lots of developers opted out to let their apps be downloaded on the MAS. However you can have some way to extract the ipa from you iOS devices and install that on your Mac.

 

[gank41]

I just received my M1 MBP earlier this week and haven’t been very thorough yet, but here’s what I can gather after sorting thru the some 500+ iOS apps I’ve acquired over the many years:

~ As long as the .ipa files that you’re installing are from your own iPad or iPhone, it’ll prompt you to authenticate your Apple ID and then it opens. Mostly.

~ The .ipa file is basically acting like a .dmg and/or .pkg file, but doesn’t mount a drive first in order to install any apps, that in this case just get added to your Applications Folder like any other apps do.

~ Most, if not all, of the iOS apps I’ve tested work fine. A couple older apps can’t be resized, but that’s most likely because they haven’t been updated to support iOS 14 yet. I think. There’s Apple Specific Guidelines that require certain things and features, API’s, etc.. those requirements change over time, and apps that support iOS 14 (and I think iOS 13?) would support window resizing.

~ I’ve noticed that iPhone & iPad apps that weren’t initially made available in the Mac App Store that I’ve been able to “side load” using iMazing, and have since had updates where the developer DOES allow the app to be available in the Mac App Store, update and continue to work just fine. Better even because that means they’re supporting more Mac like features.

~ A couple apps I hoped would work better than their Mac App counterparts, like Carrot, don’t work. I was hoping to use Carrot’s Widget and the Mac app for the Menu Bar temp and conditions, but the iOS App Widget doesn’t seem to use my Location to get working and then just fails. Other apps have some oddball things like that happening, too, which is to be expected as they’re not designed to work on the Mac.

~ There is an option to adjust touch controls if you didn’t have a touch screen, but I haven’t messed around with that yet.

 

[gank41]

I’m wondering if anyone’s tried using iMazing to extract a tvOS version of an installed .ipa file from an Apple TV. I’m pretty sure the App Store version that gets downloaded should be an iPad version over an iPhone version of the app. Not sure if specifically forcing a tvOS version of an app would make a difference with apps like HBOGo or Amazon Prime Video..

 

[Zazoh]

By default apps were opted in. Developers have the ability to opt out. I kinda wonder if developer opts out and user side loads, what that experience is like. And, if it is a machine used in business what violation if any of user agreements are being violated.