Back in June Apple announced that MacOS Catalina would have iPad app support.
Named Project Catalyst (previously Marzipan), it allows developers to port iPad apps to MacOS via Apple Xcode.
But apparently its not as easy as initially anticipated, and has has resulted in popular apps like Netflix not being ported over.
[referenced url=”https://gizmodo.com.au/2019/10/12-things-you-can-do-in-macos-catalina-that-you-couldnt-before/” thumb=”https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/t_ku-large/jff2mrotksga4vsdvtzt.jpg” title=”12 Things You Can Do In MacOS Catalina That You Couldn’t Before” excerpt=”We’ve seen the Apple on-stage demos, and the beta versions, and now macOS Catalina (technically macOS 10.15) is here for everyone… well, everyone with a Mac made in the last six or seven years, anyway. These are the new features that you’re going to want to start playing around with straight away.”]
Developer’s have reported that the process for porting their iPad apps to Catalina has been frustrating thus far. Some users have also had to pay twice for apps.
This wobbly launch may explain why at launch only around twenty compatible apps were available on the Mac Apple Store.
One of the most popular free apps was of course Netflix. Sadly, Bloomberg reported this week that the streaming service confirmed that it won’t be taking part in Catalyst at the present time.
While users can still access the service via web browser, this option doesn’t allow downloads for offline viewing, which is arguably the best feature of the dedicated Netflix app.
As The Verge points out, Netflix has a native app for Windows 10, so its lack of presence on MacOS is rather overt.
Here’s to hoping that Catalyst will improve in the near future, especially considering that Apple is aiming for a unified App store for all of its major devices by 2021.