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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...

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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).

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  • Ostensibly, you are correct. But in reality it actually is within the realm of possibility that iOS applications could run on Mac OS X, if recompiled for the x86 processor and OS X System software, and it is only an accident of circumnstance and not a logical impossibility that Apple and modern developers seem to demand with an iron fist that you only use their sw as they intended and no other way. IMO, it would be a much cooler world if developers and Apple would just relax these ideals a bit. I really wish Steve Wozniak, with support would take over at Apple instead of clones of Steve Jobs
    – chillin
    May 5, 2014 at 4:17
  • Which month is Marzipan coming?
    – Pacerier
    Feb 12, 2018 at 21:31
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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.

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There's a OS X version of Wechat on the OS X Appstore...

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    Fair, but the original question is still relevant.
    – JMY1000
    Mar 15, 2016 at 3:14
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Researching a lot about this topic, I encounter this Apple Stack Exchange Post, and need to contribute with important update: now (not when this topic was open/closed), it's possible to install iOS apps into macOS, the Apple Developer docs share this article recently titled Running Your iOS Apps on macOS, describing all steps and details to do.

Thanks and regards.

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  • Note this Apple document is for apps you have written and have the code for. So not for a third-party app as the OP asks.
    – mmmmmm
    Jun 26, 2021 at 9:01

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