So I know Apple has stated that iOS apps will run on ARM Mac but what about the opposite - running ARM Mac apps on iOS? For example would I be able to take the Big Sur/ARM binary for Music app and run on iPadOS? I want to be able to manage my iTunes library from my iPad since the functionality in the iOS Music app is nowhere near parity with the Mac Music app.... My guess is that it won't work but why? what is missing? Xcode on iPadOS?
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iOS apps on ARM Mac is confirmed - what about the opposite?
- Thread starter bscheffel
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This was my first thought - can I get my Mac games running on my iPad Pro ?
I think memory limitations will stop this possibility if nothing else
Yeah, I don't think anything will stop it once the architecture is unified, other than hardware performance.
It's just the opposite right now is mentioned since we know all Arm MacOS hardware WILL support any iOS/iPadOS since any new Apple laptop/desktop (even in the most basic config) will be at least as powerful as the most powerful iPad and iPhone. They just can't say that an app built for MacOS will work on less powerful hardware, but I don't see why something in the future that is built for MacOS can't also work on iPhones and iPads given the correct UI (touch enabled, etc.)
It's just the opposite right now is mentioned since we know all Arm MacOS hardware WILL support any iOS/iPadOS since any new Apple laptop/desktop (even in the most basic config) will be at least as powerful as the most powerful iPad and iPhone. They just can't say that an app built for MacOS will work on less powerful hardware, but I don't see why something in the future that is built for MacOS can't also work on iPhones and iPads given the correct UI (touch enabled, etc.)
The libraries from Mac OS are not part of iPad OS. At the most obvious level AppKit has not ever been on iPad OS and is not likely to ever be there. iPad OS uses UIKit. Catalyst provides a MacOS implementation of UIKit (heavily based on the iOS simulator libraries I assume). I don't see Apple having any interest in Mac OS apps on iPad OS.
I wonder what’s the big fuss about iOS apps running in MacOS. To create iOS apps you already need a Mac so they could run before on any Mac of the last years. What has changed?
If you had the source code you could run iOS apps in the simulator or more recently as you could check the box and run using Catalyst. This is different: you can run any app straight from the iOS App Store without modification
