Mac App Store – How to Tell if an App is a Universal Purchase

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Apple has announced that it is officially launching the ability for developers to sell Mac and iOS apps as a single purchase.

The macOS version of your app can now be included in a universal purchase, allowing customers to enjoy your app and in‑app purchases across iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS by purchasing only once.

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For example, GoodNotes 5 is a universal app, but I know it only through the linked support article. Its Mac App Store page only says the iPhone and iPad counterpart apps are available, but nothing about those being universal (or not).

The other app I'm looking at is iA Writer for Mac OS (but could be any other app, really), and unlike the Good Notes 5, I couldn't find any external mention of iA Writer being bundled with the iOS and ipadOS apps as a single purchase.

So can I somehow tell myself, without contacting the developers every time I need an answer, just by looking at the App Store pages, it's source code, or maybe making and API call of some sort?

Best Answer

I think I found the answer: you will have to find the app on both Mac and iOS App Stores, get the shareable link and compare the IDs. If those match, chances are it's a bundled app.

UPD: The next day after posting this, iA Writer Support sent me a reply which doesn't conflict with my above theory:

If I buy the app on the Mac App Store, is it a universal purchase and are the iOS counterparts for iPhone and iPad bundled with it? Or will I have to purchase them separately?

The software licenses for iA Writer are platform specific requiring a separate purchase for each. All of our apps are developed independently and unlike subscription services or login based apps, you own iA Writer on whichever platform you've purchased it for. ?

Use of iA Writer on iOS would require purchasing iA Writer for iOS available here: iA Writer for iOS

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