Major developers opt out of Mac App Store ahead of Apple Silicon launch

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What you need to know

  • Some major developers are opting out of the Mac App Store for the Apple Silicon launch.
  • Apps that will be missing include ones from Google and Facebook.
  • Others, like Netflix and HBO Max, seem to be on track to launch on the store.

Reported by 9to5Mac, some major developers are deciding to opt-out of offering their apps on the Mac App Store ahead of tomorrow's Apple Event, where the company is expected to announce its own Apple Silicon chips that will be able to run iPhone and iPad apps on the Mac.

Apple is allowing developers to choose if they would like to offer their apps through the Mac App Store for Macs running Apple Silicon processors, but it appears that some major developers have chosen to not offer their iOS or iPadOS apps through the Mac App Store, including Google and Facebook. Others, like Netflix, seem to be on track for availability through the store.

If you were expecting to watch YouTube on your new Mac with a native app, you're out of luck. Google has chosen not to offer most of its apps on the Apple Silicon platform, and this also includes Google Maps, Google Drive, and Gmail apps. On the other hand, the Netflix app for iOS is still on track to be available on new Macs, as well as the HBO Max app.

In addition to Facebook, streaming services like Amazon Prime Video and Disney+ will also be missing from the Mac App Store at launch.

Facebook has also chosen not to include its iOS apps on the Mac App Store, such as Instagram, WhatsApp, Messenger, and the Facebook app itself. There are some other noteworthy apps that will be missing from the Mac App Store, including Snapchat, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney+.

Of course, any of these apps could be turned on for the Mac App Store whenever the developer is ready, so this list could change at any time. However, it does appear that some popular iPhone and iPad apps may be missing from the store when Apple launches its first Apple Silicon Macs.

Joe Wituschek
Contributor

Joe Wituschek is a Contributor at iMore. With over ten years in the technology industry, one of them being at Apple, Joe now covers the company for the website. In addition to covering breaking news, Joe also writes editorials and reviews for a range of products. He fell in love with Apple products when he got an iPod nano for Christmas almost twenty years ago. Despite being considered a "heavy" user, he has always preferred the consumer-focused products like the MacBook Air, iPad mini, and iPhone 13 mini. He will fight to the death to keep a mini iPhone in the lineup. In his free time, Joe enjoys video games, movies, photography, running, and basically everything outdoors.