How to Install iOS and iPadOS apps on M1 Macs
If you just got your hand on one of the brand new Macs running on an Apple M1 chip, you might want to play some games. And what's great about these Silicon M1 Macs, is that now you can play your favorite games from iPhone and iPad right on your Mac! I will show you how in this article.
Not all apps available
Please note that not all iOS and iPadOS apps are available to download on your Mac at the moment of writing. This can be due to various reasons. A common reason is that a developer can specify if their app should show on the Mac App Store.
Search apps
If you want to know if the specific app you are searching for is available on the Mac App Store just follow these steps below.
- Go to the Mac App Store
- Search for the specific app you are searching for
- Press iPad — And iPhone Apps above the results
- Press download like you normally would with any other app
If the app you are looking for in the App Store doesn’t show up, it means that the app is not yet available in the Mac App Store. In that case, I would suggest checking out again after some time.
iOS Apps
If you are running an iOS app that doesn’t have an iPad app too you can’t resize the app to fit the Mac display. Unfortunately, you will see just the vertical screen of an iPhone displayed on your Mac.
Also for apps that require multi-finger gestures, you have to know a shortcut to use the app properly. If you need to use a multi-finger gesture in the app you are using, just use the following shortcut:
- Ctrl +Make gesture on the trackpad.
If you are using a Mac Mini and don’t have a trackpad to use this won’t work!
iPadOS Apps
Apps that also have an iPadOS app or are specifically made for iPadOS look much better at the new M1 Mac. Instead of just viewing a vertical iPhone screen, you can maximize the screen of an iPadOS app on your M1 Mac.
Also for iPadOS, you need to use the shortcut if you need to use a multi-finger gesture.
- Ctrl + Make gesture on the trackpad
App Optimization
Not all of these iOS and iPadOS apps will run flawlessly at the moment. As you might know, the M1 Macs haven’t been out for long and developers need time to optimize their apps for keyboard and mouse controls and the new M1 chip.
