Facebook, Google, other major developers decline to offer native Apple silicon apps at lau...

AppleInsider · November 10, 2020 12:25AM

A number of major app makers, including Facebook, Google and Candy Crush Saga developer King, will not offer initial support for Apple silicon Macs at launch, according to a report on Monday.

Apple is widely expected to unveil the first Macs powered by its in-house A-series processors at a special event on Tuesday. The company has been working hard to get developers aboard the new platform, but some larger companies are taking a wait-and-see approach.

Because Apple silicon Macs run on chips bearing a largely identical architecture to those in iPhone and iPad, iOS developers can port their wares to the new Mac operating system with minimal effort. Apple is also allowing iOS and iPadOS app makers to offer apps through the Mac App Store. While some, like Netflix and HBO, have elected to do so, others have declined.

As noted by 9to5Mac, Facebook is not offering Apple silicon-native versions of its family of services, which includes Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger. Likewise, Google has declined to offer Gmail, Google Maps and Google Drive apps, while Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ and Snapchat will also be unavailable at launch.

Apple will designate apps that do not currently offer Apple silicon support with an App Store message that reads, "Designed for iPad. Not verified for macOS."

It should be noted that developers can choose to post apps for review at any time, meaning the lack of native Facebook and Google apps could be temporary.

AppleInsider will offer live coverage of Apple's "One More Thing" event on Tuesday starting at 10 a.m. Pacific, 1 p.m. Eastern.

Pascalxx · November 10, 2020 12:32AM

I don’t understand the merit of having native apps for many of these when they run just as well in a browser, especially the streaming services and the Google apps.

brianloftus · November 10, 2020 12:56AM

The only one I really care about is Microsoft Office. I want the Macros that I currently use in Excel to work on the Apple Silicon. Mac Office on iPad does not support Macros. I do not need them office but they are really nice to have. Otherwise, once per year, I will need to spashtop into a windows machine when traveling to do a Macro once I upgrade my MacBook Pro.

22july2013 · November 10, 2020 12:58AM

brianloftus said:

The only one I really care about is Microsoft Office. I want the Macros that I currently use in Excel to work on the Apple Silicon. Mac Office on iPad does not support Macros. I do not need them office but they are really nice to have. Otherwise, once per year, I will need to spashtop into a windows machine when traveling to do a Macro once I upgrade my MacBook Pro.

The last time I checked, Mac Office for MacOS did not support Visual Basic. Has that changed? That's why I never used Mac Office.

ro_ro_ur_boat · November 10, 2020 12:59AM

I really don’t care about any native fb, gmail app, etc.

The only native app I want on my future ASi MacBook is MS Office.

22july2013 · November 10, 2020 1:05AM

Maybe the future of all apps is through a browser, especially if HTML starts supporting app-like user interfaces. And since streaming apps already exist, then maybe that's our window to the future of desktop apps, not just games. That may be the approach for big companies that dislike Apple's App Store interface. I suspect Google and Facebook are discussing whether they can bypass the App Store by using streaming for all their apps for Apple Silicon. Just a guess.

omasou · November 10, 2020 1:07AM

Will anyone notice the absence of these apps?

Most are probably used on iOS and iPadOS or in a browser. “I” didn’t even know most of them existed on macOS.

The companies are probably waiting to see if anyone uses their existing apps through Rosetta2 and even then they may just say here use the iOS version instead.

cornchip · November 10, 2020 1:10AM

No Candy Crush Saga on launch?!

DOA

/s

rob53 · November 10, 2020 1:51AM

22july2013 said:

Maybe the future of all apps is through a browser, especially if HTML starts supporting app-like user interfaces. And since streaming apps already exist, then maybe that's our window to the future of desktop apps, not just games. That may be the approach for big companies that dislike Apple's App Store interface. I suspect Google and Facebook are discussing whether they can bypass the App Store by using streaming for all their apps for Apple Silicon. Just a guess.

Disagree. I’d rather have local apps that have been security tested than having to rely on the browser to protect everything. I don’t trust websites and don’t trust running their apps. Already seen abuse on medical and commercial sites that just don’t want to run on Mac browsers.

gc_uk · November 10, 2020 2:15AM

Are there equivalents to these apps on Windows? Are Apple expecting special treatment?

bbqboy · November 10, 2020 2:28AM

All of these companies have competitors. It is far easier to use their competition than it is to trash my equipment and replace it all with rickety, unreliable and buggy Windows crap.

Anilu_777 · November 10, 2020 2:38AM

Sounds like what happened to BlackBerry when they launched BB10. But Apple will manage this.

a hawkins · November 10, 2020 2:54AM

Pascalxx said:

I don’t understand the merit of having native apps for many of these when they run just as well in a browser, especially the streaming services and the Google apps.

Me too. We’re now saturated with apps. Can’t see any reason why we want a Facebook or Twitter app on Mac. (Unless they offer pro functionality like TweetDeck.)

a hawkins · November 10, 2020 3:00AM

Anilu_777 said:

Sounds like what happened to BlackBerry when they launched BB10. But Apple will manage this.

It’s different because we’re speaking about perfectly find websites that are already used in Mac. We only don’t get an app for that which, if we get, is a bonus, not essentials.

On the other hands we have Microsoft Office, Adobe, Docker, and loads of other apps, virtual machines and dev tools. It’s more than enough for a Mac owner to act as an early bird.

sagan_student · November 10, 2020 3:11AM

a hawkins said:

Pascalxx said:

I don’t understand the merit of having native apps for many of these when they run just as well in a browser, especially the streaming services and the Google apps.

Me too. We’re now saturated with apps. Can’t see any reason why we want a Facebook or Twitter app on Mac. (Unless they offer pro functionality like TweetDeck.)

I’m with Rob53 on this one. While the browser now has the capacity to be everything we want it to be, there is no layer of protection. To me, having an app provides that protection. Now I am in no way a computer scientist, but when I think of cookies and their multiple uses and how a website can limit what I see until I accept their use of cookies, apps become more important to me. It is highly unlikely that any person could possibly know how every website they access uses cookies. But when accessing an app, I at least know that they must follow the protocols put in place by apple and the App Store. I may be a bit naive here, so if anyone can shed more light on my thinking I would be grateful.

22july2013 · November 10, 2020 4:03AM

rob53 said:

22july2013 said:

Maybe the future of all apps is through a browser, especially if HTML starts supporting app-like user interfaces. And since streaming apps already exist, then maybe that's our window to the future of desktop apps, not just games. That may be the approach for big companies that dislike Apple's App Store interface. I suspect Google and Facebook are discussing whether they can bypass the App Store by using streaming for all their apps for Apple Silicon. Just a guess.

Disagree. I’d rather have local apps that have been security tested than having to rely on the browser to protect everything. I don’t trust websites and don’t trust running their apps. Already seen abuse on medical and commercial sites that just don’t want to run on Mac browsers.

I agree with you that local apps are preferred. I'm just wondering if Google and Facebook are looking for ways to bypass local app store requirements. If they find a way then maybe they can pressure Apple to loosen the rules. This seems like a valid way to put pressure on Apple.

bala1234 · November 10, 2020 4:07AM

The headline is a bit misleading (if only slightly so). As pointed by others I searched in the mac app store for Gmail, twitter and facebook apps and they are not there not even netflix. The clarification is deep into the article

```Because Apple silicon Macs run on chips bearing a largely identical architecture to those in iPhone and iPad, iOS developers can port their wares to the new Mac operating system with minimal effort. Apple is also allowing iOS and iPadOS app makers to offer apps through the Mac App Store. While some, like Netflix and HBO, have elected to do so, others have declined.```

So its Apple pushing them to port their iPad apps to mac. Given that is not at all surprising that they are not immediately on board...

genovelle · November 10, 2020 4:37AM

22july2013 said:

Maybe the future of all apps is through a browser, especially if HTML starts supporting app-like user interfaces. And since streaming apps already exist, then maybe that's our window to the future of desktop apps, not just games. That may be the approach for big companies that dislike Apple's App Store interface. I suspect Google and Facebook are discussing whether they can bypass the App Store by using streaming for all their apps for Apple Silicon. Just a guess.

Ironic since that was how Apple originally offered Apps for IOS and developers complained. Apple changed course and develop deep APIs giving them deep access to many of the technology Apple uses to build their apps. Browsers don’t have that. Apple also spent billions in marketing to make it viable. Their loss will be the gain of smaller developers to shine.

genovelle · November 10, 2020 4:42AM

gc_uk said:

Are there equivalents to these apps on Windows? Are Apple expecting special treatment?

Does Windows offer the ability to write one code base to run on ARM or Intel

genovelle · November 10, 2020 4:45AM

bala1234 said:

The headline is a bit misleading (if only slightly so). As pointed by others I searched in the mac app store for Gmail, twitter and facebook apps and they are not there not even netflix. The clarification is deep into the article
```Because Apple silicon Macs run on chips bearing a largely identical architecture to those in iPhone and iPad, iOS developers can port their wares to the new Mac operating system with minimal effort. Apple is also allowing iOS and iPadOS app makers to offer apps through the Mac App Store. While some, like Netflix and HBO, have elected to do so, others have declined.```
So its Apple pushing them to port their iPad apps to mac. Given that is not at all surprising that they are not immediately on board...

It also sounds like the iPad apps will work automatically but will just say they are not certified to work if not submitted as a Mac Ap.

chasm · November 10, 2020 5:19AM

This is great news! These are EXACTLY the apps I need help to avoid spending too much time with!

Thanks Google! Thanks FB! Thanks Amazon! Thanks Snapchap!

2021 is going to be a big year for personal productivity!

Facebook, Google, other major developers decline to offer native Apple silicon apps at lau...

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