What you need to know
- There might be an issue with downloading iOS apps on Apple's M1 Macs.
- Several users are noting problems trying to download compatible apps from the Mac App Store.
There are reports amongst users of Apple's M1 Macs that some people are having issues downloading iOS apps from the Mac App Store.
With the introduction of Apple silicon, Apple brought support for iOS and iPadOS apps to Mac if developers choose to make them available for download. Apple has recently put a stop to sideloading iOS and iPadOS apps on the Mac, but those restrictions should only apply to apps that aren't officially available on Mac through the Mac App Store.
Reddit user DaisyLee2010 first notified us of the issue, stating in a post:
Anyone having issues download iOS apps on M1 Macs?
from r/mac
At least two other users have confirmed the same problem in the thread, including one who passed the issue on to Apple support. According to that user, Apple support was not aware of any known issues and had escalated the ticket, with a turnaround of three days. In videos, clicking on the download button of a relevant app simply shows a quick spinning animation, with no further result.
Twitter user Mark Osborn shared a similar issue on Thursday:
@AppleSupport I'm unable to install iPhone/iPad apps from the Mac AppStore on my new M1 MacBook Air. I click the install button and it fails silently on every app I've tried. The laptop is less than 1 day old. Any ideas?
@AppleSupport I’m unable to install iPhone/iPad apps from the Mac AppStore on my new M1 MacBook Air. I click the install button and it fails silently on every app I’ve tried. The laptop is less than 1 day old. Any ideas?@AppleSupport I’m unable to install iPhone/iPad apps from the Mac AppStore on my new M1 MacBook Air. I click the install button and it fails silently on every app I’ve tried. The laptop is less than 1 day old. Any ideas?— Mark Osborn (@ozziepeeps) February 25, 2021February 25, 2021
Speaking to iMore, iOS developer Noah Evans confirmed the issue, having tried to download three separate apps from Apple's Mac App Store whilst operating on macOS Big Sur 11.2.1, the latest public version.
Mac App Store doesn’t seem to allow installing iOS apps on M1 anymore - looks to be a bug though. pic.twitter.com/T0fswcrW06Mac App Store doesn’t seem to allow installing iOS apps on M1 anymore - looks to be a bug though. pic.twitter.com/T0fswcrW06— Noah Evans 🇺🇦 (@ThisIsNoahEvans) February 26, 2021February 26, 2021
Evans confirmed he had previously never had any issues with the feature but had not downloaded any such apps in recent weeks. It's unclear what might be causing the issue, although as Evans notes it is likely a bug affecting downloads. If you've experienced a similar issue, or better yet have found a possible fix, let us know in the comments or over on Twitter.
