Apple will allow iOS apps to be ported to macOS next year

Apple’s worldwide developer conference started on Monday in California and one of the biggest announcements to emerge concerns iOS apps. The firm says that from 2019, it will bring iOS apps to macOS, meaning developers will soon be able to reach Mac users with their standard App Store apps.

Apple’s SVP of Software Engineering, Craig Federighi was the first to announce the news but said that app developers will need to be patient, as the first apps to be ported from the App Store to macOS will be from Apple. The move, Apple says, it to allow the best of native iOS apps to be enjoyed on macOS – giving mac users the benefit of some of the millions of apps that iPhone users enjoy every day.

The project is a large one, Federigi said. He stressed that iOS and macOS will not become a single entity but continue to exist independently of each other. The 2019 timeframe allows for the challenging process to get underway, with Apple saying that the initial phase will entail developing an iOS framework for macOS system. This will allow iOS apps to then behave as they should within the browser environment with features such as widow resizing, scroll bars, drag and drop and trackpad support.

Apple also shared that the first apps to be made available for mac users will be its own Stocks, News, Home and Voice Memos. This is expected to take place later in 2018, with app developers then given access to this same functionality and expanded audience reach sometime in 2019.

The developer conference, which is taking place in San Jose, California is scheduled to last until this coming Friday so we can likely expect a few more news items and details to emerge about future App Store developments.

The conference schedule shows that there are plenty of app related sessions to come. There will be a special event focusing on creating apps for global audiences early in the week, a session on how to turn an idea for an app into a real live app, best-practice for in-app payments, a session on apps and macOS security along with talks on integrating apps with AR Quick Look and even a special on car play audio and navigation apps.

We’ll post a recap of all of the interesting app related announcements to emerge from WWDC18 next week.