Apple’s move follows its decision to let Apple-silicon Macs natively run iOS apps through the Mac App Store, making the M1 Mac a new endpoint for iOS software while retaining Apple’s distribution channel. Blocking third-party installation tools narrows that endpoint to software Apple supports on macOS.
The related coverage shows the policy developing into a broader sideloading stance: Apple later argued that sideloading weakens technical and policy defenses, while its certificate revocations showed it could enforce controls beyond the store review process.
First-order effects
M1 Mac owners lose a third-party route for installing unsupported iOS and iPadOS apps, and developers of those apps lose access to those users through that route.
Apple preserves the Mac App Store as the supported path for iOS apps running on its new Mac architecture.
Second-order effects
Developers seeking M1 Mac reach must prioritize Apple-supported Mac availability rather than relying on third-party installation software.
The restriction reinforces Apple’s ability to apply its security and distribution policies across iOS apps as they move onto Macs.
Third-order effects
Apple-silicon compatibility ties macOS more closely to iOS distribution governance: app portability need not mean distribution portability.
If Apple applies the same model across platforms, disputes over sideloading will center on whether device compatibility also requires Apple-controlled installation rules.
The trend: Apple’s shared-chip platform is expanding iOS app reach while centralizing the rules that govern how those apps are installed.
Whiners: “But sideloading was the best feature of M1!” Great, so Apple makes a ton of $ selling new Macs but developers make no $ having their iOS apps suddenly on Mac against the license agreement. This user attitude is why indie devs are getting driven out of business.
@never_released The legalities are interesting. Apple can't really argue against a developer insistence that “the app runs where we say it runs and nowhere else”... BUT
For iOS apps side loading not allowed on M1 anymore for apps not declaring macOS as a supported platform, know that it's a FairPlay DRM restriction. It also applies to older macOS versions. It was done under pressure from external developers.
Apple is not free to screw over developers in this way, and neither are users. You also have a license agreement with the developer, and if you didn't buy a Mac app, you don't legally have a Mac app.
> Because of this, it's unlikely that a workaround will present itself in the future. I guess it's time to hook up some checkra1n'ed phones to a public key server API. @iH8sn0w where you at? https://twitter.com/...
There's a legal case to be made that Apple violated its own developer program agreement by allowing iOS apps to be installed on Macs without developer authorization. We could sue Apple if we wanted. I'm not going to sue because I don't have the money to sue, but if I did...
@thattridentdude “the Mac might be yours, the apps aren't, only licensed”, Kind of like we pay taxes and therefore we the people own the Capitol, but we can't just install any Tom, Dick, or Harry in the Congress when we want to? It requires a Tim Apple to choose what's best for u…
DRM in this manner is stupid and can be bypassed quite easily via extracting the app from a jailbroken iPhone and decrypting it there. However, nothing can be done on this front. :-(