One of the advantages of having a MacBook or one of the new Macs with Apple silicon is that you can actually run some compatible iOS and iPadOS apps on the computer. You can even run Android apps on a Mac. They are labeled as such for easy identification. Once purchased or downloaded, you can use the app similarly to how you use it on your phone with a few modifications that use the keyboard versus a touchscreen. Here’s how to do it.
How to run iOS apps you have on your phone on Mac
- Visit the App Store on your Mac and select your name at the bottom-left corner or sign in if you aren’t already signed in.
- Here, you’ll see a list of the Mac Apps you have downloaded. Flip to the second screen, which shows iPhone & iPad Apps.
- Find the app and if it doesn’t state Not verified for macOS, tap the Download button (the cloud icon with the down-facing arrow).
- If the app requires in-app downloads, a notification will pop up asking you to confirm permissions. Select Continue.
- Wait for the app to finish downloading.
- Once fully downloaded, Open the app.
- You can now access it like you would on your iPhone. (You may need to log in depending on the app.)
How to set up automatic iOS downloads on your Mac
If you want all downloads from your phone to be ready to use on your Mac instantly, you can set this up to be done automatically.
- Go to the App Store on your Mac.
- Select App Store in the top menu.
- Select Settings.
- Go to Automatically download apps purchased on other devices.
- Add a checkmark next to Automatically download apps purchased on other devices. Now, any apps you download to an iPhone or iPad with the same Apple account will automatically download to your Mac.
How to download a new iOS app to your Mac
If there’s an app that’s only available for iOS or iPadOS but you want to access it on your Mac instead, you can download it right to the Mac, even if it isn’t on your phone or iPad. A good one might be a weather app, since there are only weather widgets for Mac.
- Open the App Store on your Mac.
- In the Search Bar, type in the app or type of app you want.
- Select Get beside the desired app.
- Select Install.
- Wait for the app to download fully.
- Tap Open.
- Use the app as you would on a mobile device.
How to use iOS apps on Mac
Once you download compatible iOS apps to your Mac running a recently released OS like macOS Sonoma, you might be wondering how to use them. Most notably, this would be the case if they typically leverage the iPhone’s touchscreen capabilities. There are workarounds using the keyboard. If you press and hold the Option key, for example, you can use the trackpad like a virtual touchscreen.
Different apps have alternative settings available to use. Visit the Settings page for the app once you open it on your computer and look at what alternative options are available for navigating it comfortably from a keyboard-based computer. In terms of the view, the app may still appear in a small window on the computer versus filling the entire screen. But if the app is built for iPad, you’ll at least get a sizeable version that is easier to use on the larger Mac screen.
Before downloading an iOS version of an app to your computer, however, first make sure that there isn’t an actual Mac version available. You’ll get the best possible experience with a Mac version if available, and you can sign in using your existing credentials. (Note: this might not work for some mobile games, however, which have separate accounts and progress for mobile versus Mac.)
Keep in mind that some mobile iOS apps are not available for Mac at all. You’ll more often find apps designed for iPadOS available to download since most iPhone apps are available for iPadOS as well. As noted, the iPad version will provide a larger screen window anyway, versus a tiny, vertical one designed for a smartphone. But you’ll find that more and more apps work with the latest Mac models with Apple silicon chips, so you can truly enjoy a seamless experience across all your Apple devices.