Sideloading iOS Apps No Longer Possible on M1 Macs
Apple this week implemented a server side blocking mechanism to prevent M1 Mac owners from sideloading iOS apps that have not been made available on the Mac by iOS app developers.
Image via 9to5Mac
As noted by 9to5Mac, it is no longer possible to use third-party apps like iMazing to obtain an app .ipa file to install it on an M1 Mac, a workaround that has been available since M1 Macs launched.
Attempting to sideload an app using the previously working method now results in an error that says "This application cannot be installed because the developer did not intend for it to run on this platform."
App developers have the option to make their iPhone and iPad apps available on M1 Macs, but they can also choose not to do so. Popular apps like Netflix, Hulu, Instagram, and others have opted not to make their iOS apps available on M1 Macs and it was previously possible to install and use them with apps like iMazing or Apple Configurator 2, but that has ended.
The only iPhone and iPad apps that can be installed on M1 Macs are those that developers have expressly flagged and greenlit for use on Macs. Sideloaded apps already up and running can still be used, as this only affects new app installations. The same goes for previously downloaded .ipa files.
Apple has disabled the sideloading app feature on M1 Macs running macOS Big Sur 11.1 and the macOS Big Sur 11.2 beta.
Popular Stories
Apple plans to announce the iPhone 17e on Thursday, February 19, according to Macwelt, the German equivalent of Macworld.
The report, citing industry sources, is available in English on Macworld.
Apple announced the iPhone 16e on Wednesday, February 19 last year, so the iPhone 17e would be unveiled exactly one year later if this rumor is accurate. It is quite uncommon for Apple to unveil...
Apple turns 50 this year, and its CEO Tim Cook has promised to celebrate the milestone. The big day falls on April 1, 2026.
"I've been unusually reflective lately about Apple because we have been working on what do we do to mark this moment," Cook told employees today, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. "When you really stop and pause and think about the last 50 years, it makes your heart ...
Apple today shared an ad that shows how the upgraded Center Stage front camera on the latest iPhones improves the process of taking a group selfie.
"Watch how the new front facing camera on iPhone 17 Pro takes group selfies that automatically expand and rotate as more people come into frame," says Apple. While the ad is focused on the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, the regular iPhone...
In the iOS 26.4 update that's coming this spring, Apple will introduce a new version of Siri that's going to overhaul how we interact with the personal assistant and what it's able to do.
The iOS 26.4 version of Siri won't work like ChatGPT or Claude, but it will rely on large language models (LLMs) and has been updated from the ground up.
Upgraded Architecture
The next-generation...
While the iOS 26.3 Release Candidate is now available ahead of a public release, the first iOS 26.4 beta is likely still at least a week away. Following beta testing, iOS 26.4 will likely be released to the general public in March or April.
Below, we have recapped known or rumored iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 features so far.
iOS 26.3
iPhone to Android Transfer Tool
iOS 26.3 makes it easier...
