Apple’s iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 will institute a major change as the company will open up the iPhone and iPad to third-party app stores and sideloading — the downloading of apps outside of its official store — to comply with the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) regulations by next year, Bloomberg News reports.
The DMA will have a big impact on Apple’s platforms, and it could result in Apple making major changes to the App Store, Messages, FaceTime, Siri, and more.
In a December 2022 report [Bloomberg News’ Mark] Gurman said Apple was considering implementing security requirements such as verification, a process that it could charge a fee for in lieu of collecting money from app sales. Apple has a verification system on Mac that allows users to be safe while giving them access to apps outside of the Mac App Store.
If other countries introduce similar legislation, alternate app stores could expand beyond the European Union.
MacDailyNews Take: Bring it on. It’s a win-win for both iPhone/iPad users and Apple.
Those who want safety, security, and privacy will stick to Apple’s App Store, but a single point of control is always a danger, especially when it comes to capricious censorship (see: pre-Musk Twitter, Apple’s App Store in China, etc.).
iPhone and iPad users must, like Mac users, have the ability to install third-party apps; even if they never do, for it will keep Apple honest. The ability to ban an app loses all power when it’s simply available in another App Store.
These moves, including removing the mandate to use WebKit, Apple’s Safari browsing engine, in third-party browsers, as Gurman also reports Apple is considering, will greatly reduce, if not eliminate, the threat of anti-trust actions against Apple for the foreseeable future.
Also, expect Gatekeeper to come to iOS and iPadOS from macOS. – MacDailyNews, December 13, 2022
Adding the ability to access third-party app stores for iPhone and iPad also removes a selling point for Android phones and tablets, a crucial selling point for some, that is likely to result in further acceleration of Android to iPhone upgraders. So, third-party app stores for iPhone and iPad won’t hurt Apple too much. In fact, it might even benefit Apple. – MacDailyNews, December 14, 2022
Please help support MacDailyNews. Click or tap here to support our independent tech blog. Thank you!
Support MacDailyNews at no extra cost to you by using this link to shop at Amazon.
Not sure how this is a win for people who choose iOS because it’s not the wild, wild, west like Android. Just the mere existence of official side-loading functionality provides an attack vector for bad actors to exploit either by vulnerabilities or tricking users into enabling it to install malware.
I will never side load an app, far too dangerous.
I would not want to side load apps, but am concerned that an otganisation such as my bank or a utility company would only offer their app as a side loaded version and users would not know whether it’s doing something dodgy, or whether it is properly secure.
Is side loading also scary on a Mac?
You iOS sheep have been conditioned well to stop thinking for yourselves. Just buy everything at the company store, don’t buy directly from the developer when it’s on sale! How stupid is that.
Exciting news! Apple’s iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 bringing sideloading support is a game-changer. This move empowers users with more app choices and greater customization. However, it’s essential for Apple to maintain robust security measures to protect users from potential risks. Overall, a step towards enhancing user experience and freedom!
Exciting news! Apple’s iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 bringing sideloading support is a game-changer. This move empowers users with more app choices and greater customization. However, it’s essential for Apple to maintain robust security measures to protect users from potential risks. Overall, a step towards enhancing user experience and freedom!