Support iPadOS (iPad) & iOS (iPhone) apps

[dbrookman]

Notes

It appears that the data structure in CKSoftwareMap (from CommerceKit, a macOS private framework) that lists the apps installed from the Mac App Store (which is used by mas) doesn't include installed iOS or iPadOS apps.

Spotlight contains some info about installed iOS & iPadOS along with installed macOS apps, but it does not seem to include the app IDs for iOS or iPadOS apps.

We can look for other data sources that contain iOS & iPadOS along with their app IDs (investigating private frameworks depends on #565).

Assuming that there are no other useful data sources, and that the known data sources behave as I suspect from the info I've seen, mas can:

Find installed apps via Spotlight instead of via CKSoftwareMap

• App IDs:
  • While Spotlight includes some data about iOS & iPadOS apps, it doesn't include app IDs for them (but it does include app IDs for macOS apps from the Mac App Store)
  • Spotlight does, however, include bundle IDs, which are unique per app.
  • Implement Support bundle IDs everywhere app IDs are currently used #541
  • Encourage users to use bundle IDs instead of app IDs
  • If users use app IDs, use the Apple iTunes Search Web API to lookup bundle IDs from app IDs
• App names:
  • Spotlight includes all the data that mas currently reads from objects returned from CKSoftwareMap, except it doesn't contain app names; it contains some data that might be similar to app names, but it can be off.
  • To provide the missing app name, mas can query the Apple iTunes Search Web API.

The above is ridiculous, but it is the only currently known generic workaround.

Investigate for better sources of installed app data:

• pkgutil --pkg-info-plist <bundle-id>
• /Applications/<app-dir-name>.app/Contents/_MASReceipt/receipt

See:

• mas doesn't support iPad or iPhone apps #648
• mas doesn't support iPad or iPhone apps #669

Original Issue

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mas list, mas search, mas outdated do not show iOS apps that can be installed via the App Store on M1 macs.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