Apple's M1 Macs, which are the first to be powered by an Apple-designed Arm-based chip, are able to run iOS and iPadOS apps because of the common architecture between the different operating systems.


Some iOS developers have been updating their apps to make them compatible with macOS, but there are ways to download apps that haven't been optimized and even apps that developers have prevented from being available on macOS. Watch our YouTube video for instructions, or read through the steps below.

Installing iOS and iPadOS Apps From the Mac App Store

In the Mac App Store, you can download many of the apps you've previously purchased on your iPhone or your iPad.

  1. Open the ‌Mac App Store‌.
  2. Click on your profile in the bottom left of the app. mac app store profile
  3. Under account, choose "‌iPhone‌ & ‌iPad‌ Apps."
  4. Next to any app in the list, click on the download button. mac app store iphone ipad apps
  5. The iOS app will be installed like any other Mac app and can be opened up from Launchpad or the Applications folder.

Note that you can also search for ‌iPhone‌ and ‌iPad‌ app names in the ‌Mac App Store‌ and click on the "‌iPhone‌ & ‌iPad‌ Apps" tab under the results list to see apps that were originally designed for iOS devices.

ios apps m1 search results macos
Some of the apps that you see in the ‌Mac App Store‌ are labeled with a warning that says "Not Verified for macOS," which means it is not optimized for use on a Mac.

ios app not optimized macos
Other apps that do not have this wording have been checked over by the developer and should work well on an ‌M1‌ Mac, even if the design isn't perfect because it's iOS first and not Mac first.

Installing Apps Not Available Through the Mac App Store

App developers can choose not to make their ‌iPhone‌ and ‌iPad‌ apps available on ‌M1‌ Macs through the ‌Mac App Store‌, and many popular apps like Netflix, Hulu, and others have made this choice. There used to be a workaround for installing these apps using third-party software, but in January 2021, Apple disabled the sideloading of iPhone and iPad apps. The instructions below no longer work, but we've left them available in case Apple's policies change in the future. Here's how sideloading used to work with a third-party app like iMazing, which could be used to download app .ipa files.

  1. Download and launch iMazing.
  2. Plug your ‌iPhone‌ or ‌iPad‌ into your Mac.
  3. Select your device and then choose the Manage Apps feature.
  4. Select Library and then you'll see a list of all the apps that you own.
  5. Right click on an app and choose the Download option to download it to your Library.
  6. Right click on the same app again and then choose the Export .ipa option.
  7. Choose a destination for the export like the Applications folder.
  8. From the Applications folder, click on the app icon to install the app.

Apps installed this way are not optimized for ‌M1‌ Macs and macOS in any way and are designed for touchscreen devices, so expect to run into some bugs and issues when using them. For the most part, iOS apps seem to work well on the Mac even when not optimized.

If you're planning to download and use apps like Hulu and Netflix, be warned that there's no option to put these apps in fullscreen mode to watch content, but there is an option to download content for offline usage just like on an ‌iPhone‌ or ‌iPad‌.

In the future, we'll likely have far more iOS apps that are also designed with Macs in mind, but for now, these options provide ways to access and use your favorite iOS apps on Mac devices.

Top Rated Comments

Apple Knowledge Navigator Avatar
60 months ago
Oh no!
Now Cultured Code can’t charge us $50 for a Mac app (Things) that’s identical to the $10 iOS app!
:eek:
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
now i see it Avatar
60 months ago
my fart app seems to be working fine but for some reason my flashlight app doesn't work
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
whyamihere Avatar
60 months ago
I miss the good old days of iTunes saving your app files on the Mac automatically during backups. Thanks for removing that functionality, Apple!
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TestUs Avatar
60 months ago
I much prefer using Apple Configurator 2 to iMazing - it's both first party and works very quickly, downloading apps directly from Apple's servers.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
arn Avatar
60 months ago
Free trial worked for me. It did need my Apple ID login, though that made me uncomfortable, but now I have instagram on my Mac



Attachment Image
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
rmoliv Avatar
60 months ago

whatsapp still doesn't run. says not supported.
WhatsApp has a Mac app why would you want the iOS version on your computer when you have an optimized app available in the Mac App Store?
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iphone 16 pro ghost hand

5 Reasons to Skip This Year's iPhone 17 Pro

Thursday July 10, 2025 4:54 am PDT by
Apple will launch its new iPhone 17 series in two months, and the iPhone 17 Pro models are expected to get a new design for the rear casing and the camera area. But more significant changes to the lineup are not expected until next year, when the iPhone 18 models arrive. If you're thinking of trading in your iPhone for this year's latest, consider the following features rumored to be coming...
apple wallet drivers license feature iPhone 15 pro

Apple Says iPhone Driver's Licenses Will Expand to These 8 U.S. States

Tuesday July 8, 2025 11:26 am PDT by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, providing a convenient and contactless way to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. Unfortunately, this feature continues to roll out very slowly since it was announced in 2021, with only nine U.S. states, Puerto Rico,...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro to Reverse iPhone X Design Decision

Monday July 7, 2025 9:46 am PDT by
Since the iPhone X in 2017, all of Apple's highest-end iPhone models have featured either stainless steel or titanium frames, but it has now been rumored that this design decision will be coming to an end with the iPhone 17 Pro models later this year. In a post on Chinese social media platform Weibo today, the account Instant Digital said that the iPhone 17 Pro models will have an aluminum...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

Leaker Reveals Amount of RAM in iPhone 17 Through iPhone 17 Pro Max

Wednesday July 9, 2025 8:08 am PDT by
Three out of four iPhone 17 models will feature more RAM than the equivalent iPhone 16 models, according to a new leak that aligns with previous rumors. The all-new iPhone 17 Air, the iPhone 17 Pro, and the iPhone 17 Pro Max will each be equipped with 12GB of RAM, according to Fixed Focus Digital, an account with more than two million followers on Chinese social media platform Weibo. The...
apple account card feature

Apple Account Card Expanding to More Countries

Tuesday July 8, 2025 7:34 pm PDT by
Apple is expanding the ability to add an Apple Account Card to the Wallet app to more countries, according to backend Apple Pay changes. With iOS 15.5, Apple updated the Wallet app to allow users to add an Apple Account Card, which displays the Apple credit balance associated with an Apple ID. If you receive an Apple gift card, for example, it is added to an Apple Account that is also...
macbook pro blue green

M5 MacBook Pro No Longer Coming in 2025

Thursday July 10, 2025 12:38 pm PDT by
Apple does not plan to refresh any Macs with updated M5 chips in 2025, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Updated MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models are now planned for the first half of 2026. Gurman previously said that Apple would debut the M5 MacBook Pro models in late 2025, but his newest report suggests that Apple is "considering" pushing them back to 2026. Apple is now said to be...
iOS 26 Feature

Everything New in iOS 26 Beta 3

Monday July 7, 2025 1:20 pm PDT by
Apple is continuing to refine and update iOS 26, and beta three features smaller changes than we saw in beta 2, plus further tweaks to the Liquid Glass design. Apple is gearing up for the next phase of beta testing, and the company has promised that a public beta is set to come out in July. Transparency In some apps like Apple Music, Podcasts, and the App Store, Apple has toned down the...
iCloud General Feature Redux

iPhone Users Who Pay for iCloud Storage Receive These Five Perks

Wednesday July 9, 2025 9:20 am PDT by
If you pay for iCloud storage on your iPhone, did you know that Apple offers you five perks beyond the extra storage space, at no additional cost? Here are the perks included with all iCloud+ plans:Private Relay keeps your Safari browsing history entirely private from network providers, websites, and even Apple. Hide My Email generates unique, random email addresses whenever needed. Hom...