Support iPadOS & iOS apps

[dbrookman]

Your Environment

• mas version: 1.8.0
• macOS version: macOS 11.2.1 (20D74)

mas Install Method

• brew install mas (homebrew-core)

Describe the Bug

mas list, mas search, mas outdated do not show iOS apps that can be installed via the App Store on M1 macs.

To Reproduce

Steps to reproduce the behavior:

1. Install an iOS app via the App Store.
2. Run mas list

Expected Behavior

The installed iOS app should be among the apps listed.

Actual Behavior

The iOS app is not among the apps listed.

[phatblat]

The is a great idea for a new feature. I had to send my DTK back, but while I had it I only installed iOS app through Xcode. Can you install them from the Mac App Store?

[dbrookman]

Yeah, you install them from the mac App Store.
When you search you're presented with the option to see iOS apps that you can install.

[phatblat]

One thing that will need to change to support this is to change how the search and lookup commands work. Today they use the iTunes search web API and that has a filter for only macOS. Once we know the app identifier it may "just work".

One thing you could try is to copy the URL for an iOS app from the store and look for the numeric identifier at the end (remove any letters). Then try mas install 1234 with that ID.

[dbrookman]

You're right, you can get the ID from the App Store website URL.
I specifically tried Desert Golfing (ID: 902062673)

mas info 902062673 works, returning:

Desert Golfing 1.22 [1.99]
By: Captain Games Inc.
Released: 2017-12-05
Minimum OS: 9.0
Size: 2.2 MB
From: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/desert-golfing/id902062673?uo=4

mas install 902062673 brings up the following dialog:

I suspect the Minimum OS mismatch might be the issue here.
Clicking "Download Last Compatible" returns:

==> Downloading Desert Golfing
Error: Download failed: The installation could not be started.

Clicking "Cancel" (rather obviously) returns:

Error: Download request failed: User selected cancel button

Just to be sure, I double checked, and it installs from the App Store fine.

[iMonZ]

Would be so excited if this would be fixed!!!

[natterstefan]

Me too!

[jeeftor]

Is this being worked on or nay?

[chkpwd]

Pinging here to show support as well.

[aescolastico]

+1 to hoping this gets support

[rgoldberg]

I doubt this will be worked on until summer 2025, when the M4 Mac Studios are expected to be released. Until then, I'm stuck on Intel.

It can be done sooner if someone else wants to work on it, or if someone wants to give me a free Apple Silicon Mac :).

[berndkrannich]

Fwiw, I'm using majd/ipatool for downloading IPA app packages for iOS. Not sure if the mechanism is the same as for Mac apps and/or if there's potential for reuse/collaboration between the projects.