AppleInsider Staff
Apple on Monday activated a new App Store feature that allows developers to include macOS versions of their apps as a universal purchase alongside iOS, iPadOS, watchOS and tvOS iterations.
As announced by Apple in a post to the company's developer webpage, the new capability allows customers to buy macOS, iOS, iPadOS, watchOS and tvOS versions of an app, as well as accompanying in-app purchases, with a single purchase.
Apple urges developers to prepare for universal purchase options by using bundle IDs and creating new app records for associated titles.
The launch of the new feature is in part thanks to Mac Catalyst, Apple's solution to porting iOS apps to Mac. Relatively easy to use, the Xcode feature can technically add macOS compatibility to an iOS app with the push of a button, but the resulting Mac asset will lack platform customization.
First-party Catalyst apps, namely News, Stocks, Home and Voice Memos apps, debuted in macOS Catalina and act as a template for developers looking to transform their mobile titles to desktop.
It should be noted that developers are currently unable to pair Mac apps built with Mac Catalyst with an accompanying iOS app using bundle IDs, meaning universal purchases for Catalyst apps are not yet available. That capability will launch with Xcode 11.4.
Apple first announced universal purchase support for macOS and iOS apps in February.
Andrew Orr
Amber Neely
William Gallagher
Christine McKee
5 Comments
I suspect this will be a major rollout feature at the (now virtual) WWDC keynote.
It's about time.
This is LONG OVERDUE!!!!
There are too many caveats with this feature right now:
1. you can set only one price (so the iOS version needs to become pricier)
2. you need to set the same bundle identifier for both apps, developers that already have an iOS and macOS app would probably end to duplicate apps (meaning multiple app reviews for each update) so that old customers continue to get updates.
For developers a macOS versions means extra effort (even with catalyst which requires macOS Catalina) for coding, documentation, website, support and marketing - this means: the iOS and macOS app for the price of the iOS app may not happen. Many iPhone customers use Windows Desktops - they don't want to spend extra money for an included macOS app.
From a developers perspective it would have made more sense if Apple would just allow cross platform app bundles.
An excuse for developers to double-dip is now deprecated, but I suspect many will just raise prices overall.
Can’t wait to see the inevitable anti-Apple bitching & moaning from Audio Damage on the KVR forum...