How to Run iPad Apps on the iPhone

Did you know that you can run iPad apps on the iPhone? If your iPhone is jailbroken, there’s a new way to run iPad-specific apps on the iPhone and iPod touch.

It’s been technically possible to port iPad apps to the iPhone for quite some time, but not until now has it become a relatively straightforward process.

ModMyi user ismoothproject has created a Mac app called iTelePad2Pod. The app sends an edited app file via SFTP to your iPhone. The magic happens by changing the .ipa’s metadata to include both iOS platforms.

There are some drawbacks to running certain iPad apps on the iPhone, mainly due to resolution scaling. Certain iPad apps contain a greater amount of pixels than the iPhone’s Retina display can contain, so many apps will be not be scaled properly at all. There are also design and multitouch issues, and the ported iPad apps will usually only work in landscape. (Some apps may not even work at all.)

But if you feel like trying to port an app for trying’s sake, you may be surprised to find some iPad apps that actually work great on the iPhone.

Let’s port an app from the iPad to the iPhone. For the purpose of this tutorial, we’ll be porting Cut The Rope HD.

Step 1: Download iTelePad2Pod and unzip the download.

Step 2: Move iTelePad2Pod to the “Applications” folder on your Mac.

Step 3: Navigate to /Applications/iTelePad2Pod and open the iTelePad2Pod.app.

Step 4: Read the app’s instructions and click continue.

Step 5: Select your iPad app’s .ipa file to edit.

Step 6: Follow the onscreen instructions. You can get your iPhone’s IP number under Settings > Wi-Fi. Tap the blue arrow next to your iPhone’s connected network to see your IP address.

Step 7: Once you have added your IP to the text file, iTelePad2Pod will begin converting. Read the onscreen instructions and click start.

Step 8: Once the app has been converted, open your favorite SSH client and move the file to your iPhone’s /Application folder.

Step 9: Respring your iPhone and the iPad app should be on your springboard.

Here’s a video walkthrough from iTelePad2Pod’s creator:

Although this whole process does seem a little tedious, it’s interesting to see how iPad apps run on the iPhone. It will be fascinating to see how some of Apple’s apps, like Pages, Keynote, and Garageband, work when ported to the iPhone.

Let us know how your experience has been converting iPad apps for the iPhone. What apps work better than others? Let us know in the comments below!