macOS Big Sur 11.1 Enables Full-Screen iPhone and iPad Apps on M1 Macs - MacRumors
Skip to Content

macOS Big Sur 11.1 Enables Full-Screen iPhone and iPad Apps on M1 Macs

by

Apple yesterday released macOS Big Sur version 11.1, with headline new features including AirPods Max support, privacy labels in the Mac App Store, a dedicated Apple TV+ tab in the TV app, and the ability to edit ProRAW photos in the Photos app.

full screen ios app m1 mac
Another notable change mentioned in the update's release notes is the ability for iPhone and iPad apps with non-resizable windows to enter full-screen mode on Macs with the M1 chip, which is particularly useful for video apps like HBO Max. macOS 11.1 also allows iPhone and iPad app windows to be switched between landscape and portrait orientations.

As noted by The 8-Bit, users on Reddit have confirmed that full-screen mode works as expected with games like XCOM and Tropico.

It is only possible to run iPhone and iPad apps on Macs with the M1 chip, which shares the same Arm architecture as A-series chips in the iPhone and iPad. Mobile apps are labeled with "Designed for iPhone" or "Designed for iPad" in the Mac App Store.

Related Forum: macOS Big Sur

Popular Stories

macworld iphone 18 pro colors

iPhone 18 Pro's Four Rumored Colors Revealed, Including 'Dark Cherry'

Friday April 17, 2026 3:50 am PDT by
A source said to be familiar with Apple's supply chain today revealed the color options Apple is planning for the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and the upcoming foldable iPhone. Image via Macworld. The information comes from Macworld, which says the signature new color for this year's Pro models will be Dark Cherry, a deep wine-like red. While other sources had previously reported on a...
Read Full Article • 113 comments
macOS 27 on MacBook Pro

macOS 27 Will Mark the End of an Era

Saturday April 18, 2026 6:45 am PDT by
During its Platforms State of the Union segment at WWDC 2025, Apple revealed that macOS 26 Tahoe is the final major macOS version for Intel-based Macs. The upcoming macOS 27 release will be compatible with Apple silicon Macs only, meaning that you will need a Mac with an M-series chip or a MacBook Neo with an A18 Pro chip in order to install the software update. macOS 27 should be available...
Read Full Article • 132 comments
Aston Martin CarPlay Ultra Screen

Apple Says CarPlay Ultra is Coming to These Vehicle Brands

Saturday April 18, 2026 5:59 am PDT by
Last year, Apple launched CarPlay Ultra, the long-awaited next-generation version of its CarPlay software system for vehicles. Nearly a year later, CarPlay Ultra is still limited to Aston Martin's latest luxury vehicles, but that should change fairly soon. In May 2025, Apple said many other vehicle brands planned to offer CarPlay Ultra, including Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis. CarPlay Ultra...
Read Full Article • 16 comments

Top Rated Comments

M
Maconplasma
70 months ago

Does it fix the signature issue in mail?
Nothing says off topic more than this post. Thread is about full screen iOS games on the M1 Mac. 🙄
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dannyyankou Avatar
dannyyankou
70 months ago

Hilarious to see how these games pan out without a touch screen 😂
A controller?
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
crawfish963 Avatar
crawfish963
70 months ago

A controller can only do so much to most games and apps that utilize swipes be complex finger movements.

Example: Fruit Ninja
I have never said to myself, "Hey, I really want to play fruit ninja-an app designed for a phone-on my M1 Mac."
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
warp9 Avatar
warp9
70 months ago

Still looks boxy to me, I presume it's not scaled up, it's simply full screen?!
I tested it with my own published game (that dynamically scales to fit the resolution) and it runs as an ipad app just scaled up. It's slightly blurry on a 4k screen.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
M
macbookfan
70 months ago

Can someone tell me how to exit full screen mode when in clamshell mode? The ESC button does noting. The only way I've been able to close a full screen universal app is to open the clamshell and multi swipe on the trackpad. Theres gotta be a better way right?
Esc button doesn't work? Very strange. Did you try tabbing out?
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dannyyankou Avatar
dannyyankou
70 months ago

A controller can only do so much to most games and apps that utilize swipes be complex finger movements.

Example: Fruit Ninja
Try playing fruit ninja for 5 minutes on a vertical touchscreen. It would be very uncomfortable.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Read All Comments