Apple plans to bring more iOS features to the Mac

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It seems that Apple is getting closer and closer to its goal of merging iOS and MacOS ecosystems.

Apple plans to introduce more iOS features, including Screen Time and Siri Shortcuts, into macOS around 2019, according to a new 9to5Mac report. The update will likely be presented at the Apple Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) in June as part of macOS 10.15, according to the report.

With the update, Apple's Screen Time features, which allow you to set the usage time of some apps, would be accessible from the system preferences on macOS. It was reported that the feature works the same way on the Mac as on iOS: when you have reached your predetermined time limit, you receive a notification and you have the option to close the application.

Another new iPhone feature introduced in 2018 at WWDC and that Apple plans to bring to macOS: Siri Shortcuts. As a result of Apple's acquisition of the Workflow application, Siri Shortcuts allows more applications to work with Siri by allowing you to create vocally-activated shortcuts for those you use most often.

This would be an important update for several reasons. Siri support would make Mac applications more useful, for example (9to5 also reports that Apple is working on improvements to Siri's desktop version). But it would also help iOS developers bring their applications to macOS.

The 9to5 report follows another report by Bloomberg that Apple will soon allow developers to build applications running on both iOS and macOS. The effort, which would have been dubbed "Marzipan", has been under preparation for years. Rumors go back to 2017. Apple had previously confirmed its intention to transfer iOS applications on Mac, but he did not specify many details.

It looks like these plans go much further. With the recent increase in rumors about marzipan and other iOS features on Mac, it seems like everything is going to be unveiled at WWDC in June.