Apple is planning universal iOS and Mac apps, report says

Apple could be looking to bring its desktop and mobile software much closer together.

The company is planning to create a new kind of universal app that will allow developers to bring the same applications to both iOS and MacOS, according to a new report.

The change, reportedly codenamed "Marzipan," could begin go into effect in 2018, though it would likely take more than a year for the plan to fully come together, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, who first reported Apple's plans.

The idea, according to Gurman, is similar to Microsoft's universal Windows app strategy, which allows developers to create a single application that can adapt to both touchscreen tablets and phones as well as desktop computers that use a mouse and keyboard.

It's not clear exactly how Apple would implement such a plan, as Mac apps are often developed using different tools and programming languages than their iOS counterparts. It's possible that Apple could place greater emphasis on its programming language, Swift, which can be used for both Mac and iOS apps, to enable the change.

Apple has reportedly been developing a strategy for combining its Mac and iOS ecosystems for some time, though. The company reportedly hopes the move will bring new life to the Mac App Store, which hasn't been nearly as successful as the iOS App Store. It would also be beneficial to developers who would be able to get their apps in front of more people without putting in the extra work of creating a separate desktop version of their service.

Gurman notes it could also lay important groundwork for potentially combining the iOS and MacOS operating systems, though it's unclear if Apple is considering such a plan.

If Apple does plan to go ahead on its "Marzipan" plan, we could hear about it as soon as next year's World Wide Developer Conference.