Sideloading iOS apps is no longer possible on M1 Macs

Apple implemented a server-side blocking mechanism this week to prevent M1 Mac owners from sideloading iOS apps not made available on the Mac by iOS app developers.

As noted by 9to5Mac, it is no longer possible to use third party apps such as iMazing to obtain an app’s .ipa file to install it on a ‌M1‌ Mac, a workaround available since M1 Macs launched.

If you try to sideload an app using the previous working method, you will now get the error “This application cannot be installed because the developer did not intend to run it 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. Popular apps like Netflix, Hulu, Instagram and others have chosen to make their iOS apps unavailable on ‌M1‌ Macs and it was previously possible to install and use them with apps like iMazing or Apple Configurator 2, but that’s over .

The only iPhone and iPad apps that can be installed on M1 Macs are those that the developers have explicitly marked and green lit for use on Macs. Sideloaded apps that are already running can still be used as it 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.