Apple Lets Developers Know That Universal Purchase for Mac Apps is Now Available - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Apple Lets Developers Know That Universal Purchase for Mac Apps is Now Available

macappstoremacOS versions of apps can now be included as part of a universal purchase, which allows customers to purchase a single app (or in-app purchase) that works across iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS.

Apple says that developers can get ready to use the feature by assigning a single bundle ID for apps in Xcode and setting up their app record for universal purchase using App Store Connect.

A single purchase option for iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS apps was added in the Xcode 11.4 beta, which was first released in February. After developers have implemented single purchase options, customers will be able to buy one app that works across all of their Apple devices.

With the option to make a purchase of an app that works on all devices, Apple is unifying the categories in the iOS ‌App Store‌ and macOS App Stores, so there will be minor changes coming to the categories available in Apple's App Stores.

Popular Stories

iOS App Store General Feature Desaturated

Apple Removes Freecash App From App Store After Months of Data Harvesting

Tuesday April 14, 2026 3:54 pm PDT by
Apple removed scam app Freecash from the App Store this week after the app spent months harvesting data from iPhone users, reports TechCrunch. Freecash reached the number two spot on the U.S. App Store charts in January after being heavily marketed on TikTok. It promised users up to $35 per hour for watching TikTok content, but it was collecting swaths of user data. Back in January, Wired...
grok logo purple gradient

Apple Threatened to Pull Grok From App Store Over Sexualized Images

Wednesday April 15, 2026 7:10 am PDT by
Apple privately warned Elon Musk's xAI company in January that it would remove the Grok app from the App Store unless the company put a stop to the chatbot's nude and sexualized deepfakes, according to a letter Apple sent to U.S. senators and obtained by NBC News ($). Earlier this year, Grok's AI capabilities came under scrutiny after X users shared nonconsensual sexualized images of women...
iOS App Store General Feature Dock

Apple Quietly Tweaked the iOS App Store App – Here's What's Changed

Friday April 17, 2026 2:32 am PDT by
No, you aren't going crazy – Apple has quietly made a backend change to the App Store app in iOS that switches the location of the Updates tab and renames it to make it more prominent. In the App Store app, you can see the change by tapping your profile picture in the top-right corner. The "Apps & Purchase History" tab used to be at the top the list, but it has switched places with...

Top Rated Comments

goobot Avatar
80 months ago
I wonder how many apps will even do this considering I’m sure they would rather make you buy the app 5 separate times.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
80 months ago

I wonder how many apps will even do this considering I’m sure they would rather make you buy the app 5 separate times.
We already know Things won't give up that $126 for seperate macOS, iOS and iPadOS apps.


When Apple rolls out the ARM desktops and laptops I imagine that's when they will close the ability to run third party apps. Only allow apps from the store then.
You've* been saying this since 2010 and there's still no sign of macOS running only App Store-authorised apps. Apple have even said time and time again this is never happening.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
80 months ago
Well I’d love to implement this with my App which has had a Catalyst version out now for 6 months. Unfortunately, this Catalyst App was REQUIRED to have a different Bundle ID to the iOS version... so now what?

How can I change the bundle ID to match the iOS one without pissing off all my current users and having them lose data? A migration plan would be appreciated Apple... :-/
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
az431 Avatar
80 months ago

When Apple rolls out the ARM desktops and laptops I imagine that's when they will close the ability to run third party apps. Only allow apps from the store then.
nice try
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)