Apple reportedly slams App Page Charging on M1 Macs

Well, it was fun while it lasted.

Earlier this week, 9to5Mac spotted some iOS and macOS beta tags suggesting that Apple would prevent users from being able to sideload unsupported apps on the new M1 Macs. Today, 9to5Mac reported that it is no longer possible to sideload apps that are not available in the Mac App Store, even though they are available on iOS.

You can run iOS and iPadOS apps on your M1 Mac, but only if a developer supports it. During the report, users had side-loaded apps with tools like iMazing from iPhones or iPads and could use them on Apple Silicon computers, whether they were technically supported or not. Now, when you try to sideload an app that is not available in the Mac App Store on an M1 Mac running macOS 11.2 beta, users will see an error message stating that the application “cannot be installed because the developer did not intend it to run on this platform, ”according to a screenshot from 9to5Mac.

Apple did not immediately return a request for comment on the change.

So what’s the bugs of developers not wanting their apps to run on Macs? Well, a number of reasons, not least is the way the app was meant to perform. If it was designed as a mobile experience, it may not work as intended on a Mac.

And while it seemed like people were able to figure out a short-term solution, it was probably only a matter of time before Apple ruined the fun, as Apple has always been a side-loading sticker. You can do it on iOS, but it requires jailbreaking your phone, which has its own risks. However, it is much easier to pull off on Android.

The good news, according to 9to5Mac, is that previously side-loaded software continued to run.