Side-loading iOS apps is no longer possible on M1 Macs

This week, Apple implemented a server-side lock mechanism to prevent M1 Mac owners from downloading iOS apps that weren’t made available on the Mac by iOS app developers.

As mentioned by 9to5Mac, it is no longer possible to use third-party applications, such as iMazing, to obtain an .ipa file to install on a Mac ‌M1‌, a solution available since the launch of M1 Macs.

Attempting to download an application using the previous working method now leads to an error that says “This application cannot be installed because the developer did not intend 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 choose not to. Popular applications such as Netflix, Hulu, Instagram and others have chosen not to make their iOS applications available on ‌M1‌ Macs and previously it was possible to install and use them with applications such as iMazing or Apple Configurator 2, but this concluded.

The only ‌iPhone‌ and ‌iPad‌ applications that can be installed on ‌M1‌ Macs are those that the developers have explicitly marked and are illuminated in green for use on Macs. Side-loading applications already in operation and running can still be used, as this only affects new application installations. The same goes for previously downloaded .ipa files.

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