How to run iPhone apps on the new, upcoming generation of Mac computers, or using an emulator app

• You can't run iPhone apps on a Mac computer without using an emulator, though that will change with a new generation of Macs, set to come out by the end of 2020.
• The new Macs will run on Apple's own chipsets that are similar to what's found in iOS devices.
• To run an iPhone app on an older Intel-based Mac, you need to use an emulator like Xcode.

Your Mac isn't generally able to run apps from your iPhone. iOS apps are designed using a fundamentally different architecture than Mac software, which means they're incompatible – Mac programs can't run on iPhones, and iPhone apps can't run on Macs.

You'll soon be able to run iPhone apps on some Mac models

That's about to change, though. In an Apple developer conference earlier this year, Apple announced that it was going to stop building Macs with Intel-based CPUs. In its place, Apple is creating its own chipset in much the same way it already does for iPhones, iPads, and other iOS and mobile devices. When this happens, the new Macs will share a similar architecture to iOS devices and will be able to natively run iPhone apps.

Apple has designed its own ARM-based processors for iPhone and iPad devices for years. ARM chipsets use a design approach called reduced instruction set computing (RISC) which is generally more efficient and uses less power than traditional desktop processors, such as those made by Intel. Apple has had great success developing ARM chipsets for its mobile devices and the latest generation now offers enough performance for desktop devices like laptops. Starting late in 2020, Apple should be releasing Mac computers with these ARM-based chips.

Because these Macs will have an architecture that's so similar to iOS devices, Apple has announced that they can natively run iPhone apps with no further changes or modifications. You'll be able to install iOS apps directly from the Mac's app store.

The timing is uncertain, but the new Macs running Apple chips are expected to come out before the end of the year. As a result, both Intel chipset and Apple chipset Macs will be around for quite some time, and only the ones with Apple chipsets will be able to run iPhone apps. This might be a little confusing until most Intel-based Macs have been retired.

Running iPhone apps on a Mac with an emulator

New, iPhone-app-compatible Macs may be coming soon, but that's not the entire story. Because software developers need to be able to test iPhone apps quickly and easily, they sometimes use emulator software to run iPhone apps on Macs.

There are a handful of emulators available for Mac that can run iPhone apps, but keep in mind that these are not intended for casual users. These programs are not easy to install or manage, and generally require developer knowledge to use them successfully. In addition, it's generally not possible to install apps from the Apple App Store; you're limited to apps stored on the Mac. One of the most common iPhone emulators is Apple's own Xcode.

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