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How Better iOS Apps on Big Sur Point to Touchscreen Macs

Or, with Apple, maybe not

By Charlie Sorrel Charlie Sorrel Senior Tech Reporter Charlie Sorrel has been writing about technology, and its effects on society and the planet, for 13 years. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on February 5, 2021 02:32PM EST Fact checked by Rich Scherr Fact checked by Rich Scherr University of Maryland Baltimore County Rich Scherr is a seasoned technology and financial journalist who spent nearly two decades as the editor of Potomac and Bay Area Tech Wire. lifewire's fact checking process Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email Computers Mobile Phones Internet & Security Computers & Tablets Smart Life Home Theater & Entertainment Software & Apps Social Media Streaming Gaming

Key Takeaways

The next version of macOS 11.3 Big Sur improves usability for iOS apps.iPad apps can be bigger, and touch-translating tools are more configurable.Better support for iOS apps could mean touch-screen Macs are coming. Timothy Muza / Unsplash The next version of macOS Big Sur improves the experience of running iPad apps on the M1 Macs, which makes people wonder if touchscreen Macs are on the horizon. Two changes in macOS 11.3 beta make running iPad apps on your Apple Silicon Mac way less annoying. One is that you can now enjoy much bigger windows for the apps (should your monitor be big enough to display them). The other is an improvement to the way the Mac translates trackpad and keyboard presses to touch actions on the iOS app. These changes might just be there to make using the app more pleasant. Or perhaps Apple is getting ready for the launch of touch-screen Mac. "I don’t believe that larger windows and better support for keyboards and trackpads means that a touch Mac is imminent," Mac and iOS software developer Jacob Gorban told Lifewire via email. "Keyboards and trackpads are exactly the opposite of on-screen touch control. That being said, the overall layout of macOS Big Sur, with more iOS-like buttons in the Control Center and larger distances between the menu bar icons, may point to a future touch-based Mac."

Better and Better

Because the M1-based Macs share their general chip design with the iPhone and iPad, you can run any iOS app right there alongside your regular Mac apps—provided the developer has made them available in the Mac App Store. The first iteration of iOS apps on the Mac was pretty poor. Video apps like Hulu would not work full-screen. Other apps might extend off the bottom of your desktop and be impossible to retrieve. Or perhaps there were usability limits. Tara Shypka / Unsplash The Slack iOS app is preferable to the Mac version for several reasons (it’s a native app, for example, not a web app, and therefore uses much less of the Mac’s precious RAM), but there’s no way to resize its text, making it hard to read anything. Despite this, being able to open a favorite iOS app on the Mac can be very handy. "Mac users are now able to use some of the same applications that they are familiar with from using on their iOS devices," says Gorban. "These apps can be better than web equivalents, or perhaps there was no way to use the same application or game except on a mobile device.” For example, the iPhone has many lightweight photo apps that let you do quick and simple edits to your photos. These are ideal on the Mac. Also great, even now, are apps that require minimal interaction. A weather app perhaps, or a video app. But the biggest hurdle to using iOS apps on the Mac is touch. Using a trackpad or mouse is fine if all you want to do is simulate a tap on the screen, but so far, everything else has been subpar. To help mimic the fluid touch controls of iOS, the Mac uses something called Touch Alternatives. In current versions of macOS Big Sur, they simulate touches and drags, and even let you use your Mac’s trackpad as a virtual touch-screen, complete with support for multi-touch. This sounds fine, but in practice it’s just terrible, forcing you into an all-or-nothing choice. The 11.3 beta, however, breaks these alternatives out, with separate checkboxes for each.

Touch Screen Mac

Does this improvement to iOS apps on the Mac point to touch-screen Macs? Maybe. It would certainly be convenient to reach up and tap an iPhone app on the screen of your MacBook, and there are plenty of Windows and Chromebook laptops with touch screens. But with Apple, who ever knows? I don’t believe that larger windows and better support for keyboards and trackpads means that a touch Mac is imminent. Mouse support on the iPad seemed impossible, until Apple announced the iPad Magic Keyboard and Trackpad. Mouse support on iOS is excellent, but is secondary to the primary input method: touch. If Apple does add a touch screen to the Mac, then perhaps it will do the opposite, making some accommodations for touch, but not at the expense of the keyboard and mouse. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire What Is macOS? iPad Pro (2021, M1) Review: Desktop Performance in a Tablet How to Make a Bullet Point on a Keyboard How to Turn Off VoiceOver on a Mac Should You Buy an iPad Keyboard? 3 Reasons Why You Might Want To How to Fix the Most Common macOS 11 Big Sur Issues Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M1, 2020) Review: Apple’s Impressive M1 Chip Rises To New Heights macOS Big Sur Compatibility: Will Your Device Work With It? How to Fix It When macOS Big Sur Installation Fails How to Hide or Show the Mac's Dock iMac M1 (2021) Review: A Visual Refresh and the Powerful M1 Chip How to Update a Mac How to Wipe Your MacBook Pro The 5 Best macOS Monterey Features How to Left-Click on a Mac How to Use BlueStacks on Mac Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies