Apple : Universal purchase now includes Mac applications

An update on the Apple Developer website today indicates that Mac apps are now included in Universal Purchase. This change means that developers can use Apple’s Catalyst technology while listing applications on the App Store and Mac App Store. If a consumer purchases a version of a platform, it automatically unlocks the same app on other platforms.

On the official website Apple Today Announced: “Now you can include the macOS version of the app in your universal purchase, allowing users to purchase it once and use it in iOS, iPad OS, macOS, watchOS and Apple tvOS Buy a project. To get started, just bundle the same bundle ID for your cross-platform app in Xcode and set up app records for universal purchases in App Store Connect. “

However, there are some places for developers to pay attention to. The default is a bundle between Mac and iOS, so existing standalone Mac and iOS apps cannot be integrated, but in-app purchases can also be synchronized across platform purchases. The update comes with the new Xcode 11.4 beta, and developers who want to sell them as a unified purchase will need to change the bundle identifiers of existing applications.

This feature will be very useful for developers who use Catalyst to create macOS ports for iOS applications. Catalyst allows iOS application developers to choose an additional option in Apple’s Xcode and automatically generate Mac applications-but does not do any actual optimizations for the Mac.

Developers have been divided on Catalyst’s response. Some developers don’t use Catalyst because they already have Mac applications, whether they’re released or under development. But for others, Catalyst is why they started thinking about making Mac versions of their iOS and iPadOS apps.