Sideloading iOS Apps No Longer Possible on M1 Macs

[ThemePro]

1. M1 Mac can run iOS apps by default unless developer explicitly disallows it.
2. Developer explicitly disallows it.
3. Backdoor is found to install app that developer explicitly disallowed.
4. Apple closes backdoor to honor developer's explicit request to not have their iOS app run on M1.

Internet: Fake rage and nonsensical soapboxing.

 

[svanstrom]

Yes, for professional software especially, how you backup licensed software and what you can do with the backup are almost always in the license.

Try to write a script to back up Catia or Altium executables and see how that throws everything off if you try to run copy in the backup.

This basically says, how you backup is also governed by the licensing terms from your software distributor or the developer.

For a piece of proprietary software, you have no rights for anything. You are given the permission to perform the prescribed set of interactions with the software, and that’s it.

https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/17/117

Basically the license isn't worth the bits it's written on if what is says doesn't follow what the actual laws says.

 

[PlainBelliedSneetch]

By copying it from the phone.



That's not how this method works, though. You simply copy the ipa from the phone to the Mac.

I don’t think you can copy the ipa from the phone anymore. It is getting downloaded from the App Store to the computer.

edit: If anyone can point me to a way to copy it from the phone please do. I tried to copy my paid for copies of Infinity Blade to my new iPhone and was not able to find a method to copy it from the old iPhone.

 

[PlainBelliedSneetch]

You don’t see the difference between adding new content and managing existing content? Is that why developers think it’s ok to paywall bug fixes behind version updates?

I don’t want the newest photoshop features. I want the ones I paid for to work correctly.

I’m not going to pay to fix something sold broken. And if you come out with a new version without fixing the old ones bugs first, than I call that fraud.

Having to come out with a maintenance release for every version ever released will be costly. Or do you have some other method in mind where new features and bug fixes are handled separately.

 

[seek3r]

You can rip content off the app, and this is way easier on a Mac when the content is playing on the Mac.

Is “can use it for piracy” and “actually piracy” the same thing? Your argument could be used to claim general purpose computers are bad, you can rip the stream even if you don’t use the app after all.

Also, there’s plenty of content piracy already, there is very little on netflix that someone couldnt find a torrent for if they were so inclined. Netflix wins these days because it’s convenient, not because piracy is impossible or even highly difficult. The netflix app usable on a mac would not effect piracy much if at all

 

[aaronhead14]

So everyone (every hater) that is a fierce defender of developers when it comes to App Store and subscriptions, the moment they can’t use their pirated apps anymore they curiously forget their love of devs and start taking on Apple because it is enforcing developers wishes and rights. Sad but hilarious.

Downloading apps directly from Apple using your Apple ID is not "pirating" apps. What an outright ludicrous thing to say.

 

[cashboxz02]

Not buying any computer which doesn't give me the liberty to run the code of my choice. My hardware, my choice. On phones, it makes sense, as there is SO much sensitive data that any modified application could expose all your personal stuff. But that shts not flying on a laptop. The coprocessor being used for DRM purposes to a third party company (Netflix), but not allowed to be used by consumers, raised huge red flags. This is the nail in the coffin.

 

[svanstrom]

Not buying any computer which doesn't give me the liberty to run the code of my choice. My hardware, my choice. On phones, it makes sense, as there is SO much sensitive data that any modified application could expose all your personal stuff. But that shts not flying on a laptop. The coprocessor being used for DRM purposes to a third party company (Netflix), but not allowed to be used by consumers, raised huge red flags. This is the nail in the coffin.

Well, as much as I do agree with your general dislike about where things are going…

The truth is that the sensitive data on my phone is just as available to steal from my computer. Most things are synced; and the one thing that is super important and only on my phone (Swedish digital ID), well that's just because I haven't also installed it on my computer.

So, as much as I personally is not a fan of a more "secure" laptop, it might not be such a bad idea as far as for the average consumer.

As a matter of fact, now that I think about it… I'm actually somewhat already treating my laptop as if it has been, or could be, compromised; forcing logins to certain key accounts to also rely on hardware separate from the laptop etc.

 

[ericwn]

How is it? CD, Isn't the clue in the name ? "Digital Audio"

You are looking at files vs an application.

 

[seek3r]

1. M1 Mac can run iOS apps by default unless developer explicitly disallows it.
2. Developer explicitly disallows it.
3. Backdoor is found to install app that developer explicitly disallowed.
4. Apple closes backdoor to honor developer's explicit request to not have their iOS app run on M1.

Internet: Fake rage and nonsensical soapboxing.

You missed the part where, in the general computing world, software is not typically restricted in that manner and software on Macs never has been before.

 

[jonblatho]

How can you trust the source and that it doesn't contain a trojan?

If it’s an iOS app, it came from the App Store and the package would therefore be signed, so it won’t run if the package has been modified unless signed again with a valid Developer ID, plus it has to be notarized (i.e., scanned for malware). This isn’t really a valid argument here.

 

[4jasontv]

Having to come out with a maintenance release for every version ever released will be costly. Or do you have some other method in mind where new features and bug fixes are handled separately.

Off the top of my head they could do it like devonTHINK does. Minimize major update frequency. DevonTHINK has been a successful premium app that provides support and minor updates for a few years before releasing a new version. New releases tend to limited to core app re-writes and not simply minor added features.

 

[jdoyle]

Thats ******. Apple ruining our fun. was looking forward to playing around with this on my sons new MB Air. The natural progression of this is a hard lockdown and only App Store apps can be installed a la iOS. I dont want that on my Mac.

 

[samns044]

im confused , did anyone actually confirm this?

It seems to still work for me (11.1) , i just installed instagram, myfitnesspal, and the only app that doesnt work is netflix (it installs but doesnt open)

 

[Tchakatak]

Off the top of my head they could do it like devonTHINK does. Minimize major update frequency. DevonTHINK has been a successful premium app that provides support and minor updates for a few years before releasing a new version. New releases tend to limited to core app re-writes and not simply minor added features.

They actually refuse you to run their iOS app on your Mac.

 

[4jasontv]

They actually refuse you to run their iOS app on your Mac.

What’s your point?

 

[Justin L Franks]

Isn’t one of the big reasons in owning a M1 mac so you can use iOS apps on it, love my M1 pro, but the lack of iOS apps is very disappointing. 🤦‍♂️

Where did Apple state that this kind of usage is and would be further supported with the sale of the M1? To my knowledge, Apple has said no such thing.​

Running all of your iOS apps on M1 Macs is one of the biggest advertised features of these systems.

Mac

The most powerful Mac laptops and desktops ever. Supercharged by Apple silicon. MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, Mac mini, Mac Studio, and Mac Pro.

www.apple.com

"iPhone and iPad apps

For the first time, you can run your favorite iPhone and iPad apps directly on Mac. That means more games to play. More content to watch. And more apps for all the things you love to do. They work and behave like true Mac apps — with a menu bar, support for resizable windows, mouse and trackpad control, and more. iPhone and iPad apps you purchased previously that are now available for Mac can simply be downloaded from your purchased list. And, of course, they’re available on the Mac App Store."

 

[samns044]

Decrypted apps still install, just means you need to either find a decrypted app or use a jailbroken iOS device to decrypt them.

quoting PoopyPantyLicker from reddit

It seems you can still sideload apps, you just have to do a few more extra steps. I dont the average user was sideloading apps in the first place

 

[ikramerica]

You missed the part where, in the general computing world, software is not typically restricted in that manner and software on Macs never has been before.

In what world?

The developer and Apple have a contract. It details many things including pricing and availability across devices and regions.

You as the end user have a license to use the software (OS and apps) as allowed.

This idea that you bought the right to use it everywhere is not supported by decades of software licensing. Be it via activating keys, dongles, or app store restrictions, you are very often restricted from installing/using software wherever and whenever you want to.

 

[4jasontv]

You as the end user have a license to use the software (OS and apps) as allowed.

This idea that you bought the right to use it everywhere is not supported by decades of software licensing. Be it via activating keys, dongles, or app store restrictions, you are very often restricted from installing/using software wherever and whenever you want to.

This is exactly what needs to change. We need to get regulation to make this sort of collusion illegal, normalize the behavior of platform shifting software, and get developers who support this anti-consumer behavior blackballed from distribution platforms.

Recall that broadcast TV claimed viewers had no right to time shift TV shows, and music labels said ripping CDs to MP3 violated their rules, and movie studios claimed backing up DVDs was illegal. It's a shame these businesses had to go through the motions of fighting their customers but hopefully the software industry will be more self aware.

It will take a lot of work, and likely a few court cases, but we as consumers have to stand up for our rights.

 

[4jasontv]

Nobody is defending Apple "no matter what they do." And this story isn't about Apple locking anything down. This is about Apple allowing developers to make their iOS apps unavailable on the Mac when said apps are not compatible with the Mac. Because if an app is incompatible with the Mac, and the developer has no way to implement and test Mac support, it should be 100% within the developers' right and ability to make it unavailable on the Mac.

This logic only applies if it is actually incompatible, and not that it's missing some features. But honestly, that doesn't really matter. Just add a pop-up that says some features may not be supported on macOS when the app launches and let the user decide how they will use the software they paid for. If the developer tries to make the mac version a separate paid app than we as consumers have an ethical obligation to drive the rating as close to 0 as possible to ensure future users don't get screwed over.

This is a team effort, and we need to rally together to be sure that the end users best interest drive policy and law.

 

[ikramerica]

This is exactly what needs to change. We need to get regulation to make this sort of collusion illegal, normalize the behavior of platform shifting software, and get developers who support this anti-consumer behavior blackballed from distribution platforms.

Recall that broadcast TV claimed viewers had no right to time shift TV shows, and music labels said ripping CDs to MP3 violated their rules, and movie studios claimed backing up DVDs was illegal. It's a shame these businesses had to go through the motions of fighting their customers but hopefully the software industry will be more self aware.

It will take a lot of work, and likely a few court cases, but we as consumers have to stand up for our rights.

What collusion here?

The apps are licensed to run on an iPhone, or on iOS. MacOS is not iOS and doesn’t run on an iPhone.

Some companies are platform agnostic. Some are not.

Graphisoft gives you a single USB key, but as far as they are concerned you can plug it into any computer with ArchiCAD and run multiple licensed instances at once on that machine. But only 1 machine at a time. Some companies allow administration of software keys and the server can keep track of how many instances are running and set a cap

MS used to isolate the Mac license from the Windows license of Office, but now they don’t care. But other companies still do that. Plenty of game companies don’t let you install the same game on multiple platforms just because you paid once.

Then there are the discounted student editions of software that are identical to the full edition except the license prevents you from legally doing anything for profit with the install.
The point is, you are buying a license to use software, and in some cares profit from the use of it. Your are not buying a copy of the software, but a license to use the copy. And as software is delivered digitally, you pay for the license, and then are presented a link for downloading the current version of the software connected to your license, as well as updates and possible future upgrades.

This is a bit different from a song or movie, where buying the physical media gave you a copy of a certain static version that you are allowed to use and archive, but not profit from.

 

[hashsi99]

im confused , did anyone actually confirm this?

It seems to still work for me (11.1) , i just installed instagram, myfitnesspal, and the only app that doesnt work is netflix (it installs but doesnt open)

Did you use imazing?

 

[ThemePro]

You missed the part where, in the general computing world, software is not typically restricted in that manner and software on Macs never has been before.

It's a rather unique situation here but having a Chromebook, Google also also devs to restrict installation of any Android app. Side-loading is only possible if you gain root access by running the machine on the developer channel. One could certainly login to their Mac as root and presumably workaround any artificial restriction. In fact, there's already another workaround based a Reddit post I saw. Even so, if Apple makes it trivial to allow users to sideload and run iOS apps that developers explicitly did not want to be used on the Mac, that could end up being a serious legal issue and perhaps Apple was notified by major developers in that regard. I believe in the freedom to use your Mac as you see fit but that doesn't you get to use other people's software outside of their terms and licensing.

 

[samns044]

Did you use imazing?

yes