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Apple yesterday released the first developer beta of macOS Big Sur 11.3. As we detailed at the time, the update includes a variety of new changes and features, such as support for setting up paired HomePods in stereo as the default audio output device.
It turns out that macOS Big Sur 11.3 includes a pair of modifications to run iPad apps on Mac M1s.
For those who are not familiar, the Mac M1 allows users to install iPhone and iPad apps through the Mac App Store. The experience, however, has been lackluster in many ways, and macOS Big Sur 11.3 is taking a couple of small steps to change that.
First, macOS Big Sur 11.3 added a new, dedicated preference pane for “Touch Alternatives,” which is a feature designed to mimic the touch gestures you would use in the iPad version of the app. This feature has been around since the Mac M1’s release in November, but macOS Big Sur 11.3 adds a new preference pane that gives users more granular control over the feature.
To access the new Touch Alternatives preferences pane, click the name of the app in the menu bar, then choose Preferences. Here you can enable Touch Alternatives and then specify the specific controls you want to use.
Previously, macOS Big Sur only allowed you to enable touch alternatives, with no control over details. Here it is in action:
Window size changes
As first spotted by The edgemacOS Big Sur 11.3 also makes a very, very small change to the window size of iPad apps on Mac. The report explains:
IPadOS apps will now appear larger than before – if your screen size allows it – and beta testers will find a new preference pane for iPhone and iPad apps that will allow them to better customize “alternative touch” keyboard controls. . Touch alternatives allow “keyboard alternatives for touch, swipe, and swipe gestures, and allow multi-finger gestures using the option key and a trackpad.”
For those who aren’t familiar, some iPad apps don’t let you adjust window size when running on Mac – like HBO Max. Now, with macOS Big Sur, the default window size for these apps is slightly larger. Here’s a before and after comparison of HBO Max on the M1 MacBook Air:
Taking 9to5Mac
These are minor but useful changes to the experience of using iPad apps on Mac M1s, and while it’s encouraging to see Apple making improvements, there is still a lot to be done.
Particularly weird is the change to the default window size. The ideal solution is for Apple and the developers to simply allow window sizes to be adjusted by the user, but that doesn’t seem possible with apps like HBO Max.
What do you think of the experience of using iPad apps on Apple Silicon Macs? What improvements would you like Apple to make? Let us know in the comments!
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