iOS is considered by most the ‘holy grail’ of smartphone operating systems, offering world-beating core functionality and access to the App Store, a pioneering smartphone application store that opens up endless possibilities for your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch. But what if iOS was available to third-party manufacturers?
Google’s Android operating system is licensed to the likes of Samsung, Huawei, and virtually every other smartphone manufacturer outside of Apple, giving it the biggest market share: but what if you wanted to use iOS on your Samsung device, for example? Although it’s not officially supported, there are workarounds.
Using an emulator
The only way to run iOS on Android devices is to use an emulator, which will serve as a clone of iOS and allow you to run iOS apps and software from your Android smartphone. It’s important to note that emulators are not official software from either Google or Apple, and using them is against Apple’s terms and conditions.
Emulators were designed to help developers see how their apps would run on different hardware, and some of the most popular include iPadian, Air iPhone Emulator, Smartface, and MobiOneStudio. A word of warning: use these at your own risk, as they’re not officially supported and could result in your Apple ID being banned.
Running iOS on Android tutorial
Simple Alpaca has put together a guide to running iOS on Android, which you may find useful. The content in this video is in no way affiliated with AppleMagazine and we do not support nor condone the use of these methods.
Will Apple ever license iOS to others?
One question that’s commonly asked is whether Apple would ever license iOS to third-party companies to use on their own smartphones. Although some of Apple’s software – like Apple Music, Apple Podcasts, and Apple TV – has made its way to third-party companies, it’s very unlikely that we’d see iOS running on a rival’s smartphone.
Apple has built the world’s most respected and trusted operating system, and as a result, likes to keep a tight grip on who has access to its code. Licensing iOS to others could cheapen the brand, lead to more bugs and exploits, and may even encourage Apple users to make the jump to cheaper smartphone brands running iOS.
Would you like to see iOS on other smartphones? Let us know and check back soon for more.
