What you need to know
- We are ever-closer to truly universal Apple apps.
- Cupertino released the first Xcode 11.4 beta today, February 5.
- The company also released the first developer beta versions of iOS 13.4 and iPadOS 13.4.
This article has been updated to confirm that Xcode 11.4 will allow developers to bundle macOS apps with iPadOS and iOS apps, so that users can by them all with a single purchase.
The first Xcode 11.4 beta includes some big news for developers and Apple device users alike. As of March 2020, developers will be able to distribute and sell their iOS, iPadOS and macOS apps as a single bundle, which means we are closer than ever to universal apps. This means that if the developer enables the feature and you buy their app, your purchase will get you a copy of that app for both Mac and iOS.
By default, universal purchase will be enabled for new Mac Catalyst apps created in Xcode 11.4, and they'll use the same bundle identifier as an iOS app.
Currently, developers can release one app for both iPhone and iPad. By making the changes mentioned above, Apple's definition of universal app could soon officially change to also include macOS.
According to the Xcode 11.4 beta release notes:
Xcode 11.4 supports building and distributing macOS apps as a universal purchase. To distribute your macOS app as a universal purchase, specify the same bundle identifier as your iOS app in the Xcode template assistant when creating a new project. If you have an existing project, edit its bundle identifier in the Project Editor.Universal purchase is enabled by default for new Mac Catalyst apps created in Xcode 11.4. When you create a new Mac Catalyst app, it will use the same bundle identifier as your iOS app.Automatic signing in Xcode 11.4 supports building Mac Catalyst apps with a custom bundle identifier. You can edit the bundle identifier of your app using the Signing & Capabilities tab in the Project Editor. If you choose to build your Mac Catalyst app with a custom bundle identifier that does not match your iOS app, you will not be able to distribute the app as a universal purchase.
First announced in June 2019, Catalyst let developers create iPad apps that can also run on Mac. The software-development tool was officially released with iPadOS 13 and macOS Catalina last fall.
The first Xcode 11.4 beta was released to developers today, February 5, alongside the first beta developer versions of iOS 13.4, iPadOS 13.4, and watchOS 6.2.
