How to run iPhone apps on your Mac

Apple creates seamless connection between mobile phones and computers. Users who have both Mac and iPhone (even iPad and Apple Watch) can experience truly convenient synergy. This is especially true for iOS and macOS devices – if you know how to set it up, the iPhone app will run on your Mac as well.

A few things to note: Developers of iPhone apps must add Mac compatibility, and you must run Macs with Apple chips (so that older Intel processors Macs are not included). Once you understand these premises, you can start running your app on both platforms.

This is very practical in many ways, especially when you can use the mobile app on the big screen without constantly taking out your phone or unlocking it. Of course, some iPhone apps have the right desktop or web app, but sometimes the mobile app option is more effective.

Find app

If you open the App Store on macOS, then click on your name in the lower left corner and switch to the iPhone and iPad apps tab, you will see all phones or tablets that are already installed on Apple-made, and you will also A list of apps that can be installed on macOS. Click on any listed items to carefully view their description and other information.

Apps that are only marked "designed for iPhone" or "designed for iPad" and without any other tags have also been optimized for macOS. Annotation "UnmacOS Verified" will also be displayed next to unoptimized applications. You can still install these apps on your Mac, but the quality of your user experience may vary.

For applications that are not displayed at all, it is because developers choose not to provide them on macOS. This includes some large apps, such as Instagram and Google Maps — probably because their developers want you to use the web version of their app instead.

To install the iPhone or iPad app on your Mac, simply click on the blue download button (looks like a cloud with a down arrow on it). After the download is complete, you can click "Open" to launch it. The app appears in its own window (you can resize it) with its own menu options at the top.

You can also find apps that have never been installed on your iPhone or iPad: Click in the search box in the upper left corner and enter the name of the app you are looking for. On the results screen, you need to switch to the iPhone and iPad apps tab to find the apps developed for iOS and iPadOS first.

Run the application

Some iPhone apps run easier on Mac than others – obviously you don’t have a touch screen feature, so you may need to spend some time determining the trackpad that will allow you to properly control the app in your new desktop environment (or Mouse) gesture and keyboard combination.

Apps that require a lot of typing are actually easier on a Mac because you have a full-size physical keyboard. For example, iOS app Letterboxd or Airbnb: If you don't want to use the corresponding website, they both run on macOS and search or enter details much faster than on your phone's touch screen.

The macOS platform does provide some help with touch screen input: For example, if you hold down the Option key on the keyboard, you can use the trackpad as a virtual touch screen, which can make controls for some applications and games more Easy to manage. In most applications, clicking is equivalent to touching, and the slide on the trackpad matches the slide on the screen.

When running the app, you can click on the app name on the menu bar and select Settings to further configure it: under the General tab, you can set how to handle open web links, while in Touch Alternative Under the tab, you can set different ways to copy touch screen input on your keyboard (including the “Option” trick mentioned above).

Games designed for iPhone and iPad work the same way as apps, so it's also a great way to have a casual time on your Mac. For example, famous games like Crossy Road, Monument Valley, and Two Dots are all available on macOS and are fairly easy to operate with a keyboard and trackpad (or mouse).

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