Is it possible to install an iPhone app in MacBook Pro?

I use an application WeChat in my iPhone a lot, as typing on a smartphone is less convenient than typing on a keyboard, I would like to be able to use that application on my MacBook Pro.

The OS in my MacBook Pro is Mac OS X Lion 10.7.5 (11G63). I have also installed VMWare Fusion.

So I am thinking if it is possible to install a virtual iOS 7 on my MacBook Pro, then install WeChat inside?

Could anyone help?

PS: WeChat does provide a web version where we can chat in a web browser, but it is not as good as the iPhone application, it is unacceptably slow...

Solution 1:

Nope.

The only way you can run iOS apps on OS X is if you have the iPhone Simulator and have a version of the app specifically compiled to run on the simulator.

The iPhone Simulator (available from Xcode) is not an emulator and can't run ARM code, which means that it has to run a specific version of iOS 7 designed for OS X, and is not able to run iOS apps that have not been designed to run on this version of iOS 7 (i.e. IPAs from the App Store).

Solution 2:

I was looking to run an app on my MBP as well and I stumbled upon the solution of using an iOS simulator: How to install iOS App Simulator on a Mac

I also use the web-version of WeChat. I don't think it's slow. The annoying thing is that it disconnect quite often and you have to scan the QR code every once in a while.

Let me know how you do.