How to stop OS X Sequoia from installing iOS apps on a desktop Mac?

As Servant of Cats wrote, these appear because your mac can run iPhone and iPad apps.

But they are only installed if YOU click the cloud download icon.

To be precise, those that show a cloud icon are NOT installed in your mac, but they were (probably) installed in an iPhone or iPad of yours at some point.

Sequoia will not install iOS apps on your Mac unless you do something to imstall them.

Since Apple Silicon Macs can run iPhone snd iPad apps whose developers allow it, I would expect purchased iPhone and iPad apps to show up in your App Store purchase history. That does not force you to click on the cloud download symbol to download them.

sorry I thought updates, but as Chattanoogan said IOS apps will only install and run on iPhones.

the app iPhone is just like a virtual machine which controls your phone, it does not download anything

200cm wrote:

@Owl-53

thank you, I guess you are hard on the heels of the issue. I still run Sequoia (I find Glass abominable) and there is – in the german version of the OS – no entry in «Spotlight» that would fit. Eventually I will go over to Tahoe and then know what to do.

Scheinwerfer ?

I am using a traslator for this

Liquid Glass extends to desktop icons, folders, the Dock, in-app navigation, menus, toolbars, and the Control Center. The menu bar is translucent, revealing more of the display so it feels large

In macOS 26 Tahoe

go to Mac -> settings -> update -> i -> turn off everything there

iOS apps will only install and run on iPhones.

Maybe I am misunderstanding your question ???

On macOS 26.5.1 Tahoe

System Setting >> Spotlight

Turning OFF >. Show iPhone Apps may work ?? 🤞

Chattanoogan wrote:

iOS apps will only install and run on iPhones.

Maybe I am misunderstanding your question ???

Congratulations my friend 👍

Level ⬆️

🦉-53

Actually, I am preparing to move onto macOS 27 Golden State to be released sometime this Fall

macOS 27 Golden State 

Interesting behavior; something about which I wasn’t aware. (As I was running an Intel Mac)

TY.

Will watch for it as I continue to “build-up” my still “new” M5 Mac

+1