When Apple removed iOS app management and the iOS App Store from iTunes, this created a problem for iOS developers. If you visited their websites on a Mac, and wanted to buy an app, or even see an app’s page in the App Store, you couldn’t do this. iTunes would not display any content from the iOS App Store.
Likewise, you couldn’t see a Mac App Store page on an iOS device.
But Apple has recently changed this. I’ve noticed in the past few weeks that if I click an iOS app link in my browser, it opens the app’s page in iTunes.
However, you can’t purchase the app, or add it to your Wish List, and you can’t even share the page from iTunes.
Similarly, if you click on a link to a Mac app on an iOS device, you can view it in your device. Here’s a story about BBEdit from the Mac App Store on my iPhone:
You’ll notice in the second screenshot above that the Get button is dimmed; you can’t purchase the app. And, as with the iOS app in iTunes, you can’t add it to your Wish List, nor can you share it.
However, you can at least view this content on other platforms. I would love to see the ability to purchase iOS apps on the desktop, and choosing to send them to a specific device, or at least make them available on your devices. The same is the case for Mac apps on iOS. Sometimes I see information about an app when I’m on my iPhone, and don’t always remember to check it out later when I’m back at my desk.