Apple is working on tools that will allow developers to easily write one app that will work on iPhones, iPads and Macs, Bloomberg reported Wednesday.
Currently, developers need to write one app for iOS (iPad and iPhone) and then another app for macOS, the software that runs on Apple's computers. The new feature, which Bloomberg said is called "Marzipan" internally and may be introduced as soon as next fall, allows developers to write the app once and then launch it for users across Apple's various software platforms.
"Marzipan" could theoretically open up new options for Mac users who want the variety of apps offered on mobile. If implemented successfully, the move could also prove a huge boon for Apple's developers.
Apple users tend to upgrade operating system versions at a much faster rate than Android users, leaving developers in a cycle of mad scrambling to keep up with new features on every operating system. The company has made strides to make itself more friendly to developers, releasing an updated coding language, improving app approval timelines and expanding the ways that developers can make money and advertise their apps.
But there have also been growing pains as Apple plots an aggressive path to double its services revenue by 2020, a plan that leans heavily on app developers. For example, the company has cracked down on "clone" and apps made from templates or white label products as a way to quickly weed out spam. But that move has faced widespread criticism for wiping out options for small businesses.
Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.