Question
What is a universal app?
Answer
A Universal App is an app that is built to run cross-platform - so we're using the same codebase, VPP licenses, etc. across both MacOS and iOS. Essentially it's an app that we can run on iOS, iPadOS, or macOS without having to download and install a version specific to the OS. Apple is encouraging App Developers to move towards Universal Apps, so we're likely to see a greater proportion of these apps in the future.
If you are looking for these apps in Apple Business Manager, they will still often be listed as "iOS apps" or "MacOS apps". We can tell if an App is "Universal" by navigating to the App's entry in the App store (https://apps.apple.com/us/app/), scrolling down to the Information section, and checking the Compatibility listing.
If minimum versions for only MacOS or iOS are listed, it is not a Universal App, but if we see multiple are platforms listed, it is a Universal App.