How can I install Mac software on my iPad?

Some Mac Apps are "universal" - and can be installed on both Mac and iPad. However, the App must be downloaded/installed directly from the Apple App Store.

To be clear, you cannot install Apps for iPad from a ZIP, other archive file or installable media.

Servant of Cats wrote:

LotusPilot wrote:

Some Mac Apps are "universal" - and can be installed on both Mac and iPad. However, the App must be downloaded/installed directly from the Apple App Store.

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I don't think the term "Universal" means what you think it does. The original "Universal" applications contained Mac OS X binaries for PowerPC chips and for Intel chips. The current "Universal 2" applications contain macOS binaries for Intel chips and for Apple Silicon chips.

I am indeed fully aware of the technical aspects.

For the sake of simplicity of explanation, I use "universal" here in the loosest possible sense - hence the quotes.

LotusPilot wrote:

Some Mac Apps are "universal" - and can be installed on both Mac and iPad. However, the App must be downloaded/installed directly from the Apple App Store.

I don't think the term "Universal" means what you think it does. The original "Universal" applications contained Mac OS X binaries for PowerPC chips and for Intel chips. The current "Universal 2" applications contain macOS binaries for Intel chips and for Apple Silicon chips.

I believe that iPhone and iPad apps must be built for iOS or iPadOS. A developer can't build an app for macOS, and allow (or expect) it to run on an iPhone or iPad. On the other hand, Apple-Silicon-based Macs can run iPhone and iPad apps – if the developers allow it. Presumably macOS includes a complete set of macOS and iOS/iPadOS libraries to permit it to pull off this trick.

Some developers do build versions of their apps for multiple platforms. Examples:

• Safari (Apple)
• Photoshop (Adobe)
• Word (Microsoft)

you can't by any means

macos apps rely on external libraries which ipadOS lacks

plus only means to install new software of any kind on a non jailbroken iPad or iPhone is apples app store