Sideloading iOS apps is no longer possible on M1 Macs

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

m1 mac sideload disabled

Image via 9to5Mac


As noted by 9to5Mac, it is no longer possible to use third-party applications like iMazing to obtain a .ipa file from the application to install it on a ‌M1‌ Mac, a workaround that has been available since the release of M1 Macs.

Attempting to sideload an application using the previous working method now results in an error that says “This application cannot be installed because the developer did not intend it to run on this platform.”

Application developers have the option of making their iPhone and iPad applications available on ‌M1‌ Macs, but they can also choose not to do so. Popular apps like Netflix, Hulu, Instagram and others chose not to make their iOS apps available on ‌M1‌ Macs and previously it was possible to install and use them with apps like iMazing or Apple Configurator 2, but that’s over.

The only PiPhone‌ and ‌iPad‌ apps that can be installed on ‌M1‌ Macs are those that developers have expressly flagged and given the green light for use on Macs. Sideloaded applications already installed and running can still be used, as this affects only new application installations. The same goes for previously downloaded .ipa files.

Apple has disabled the sideloading application feature on ‌M1‌ Macs running macOS Big Sur 11.1 and ‌macOS Big Sur‌ 11.2 beta.

.Source