Bloomberg News’ Mark Gurman believe that Apple may not even mention app sideloading for iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Apple TV at WWDC, as the company will likely limit the feature to regions that require it by law.
“I think it will be a Europe-only feature,” Gurman said. “I think that they’re not going to shoot themselves in the foot and expand this globally if they don’t have to.”
“They’re not gonna do anything extraneous that would further hurt their grip on the App Store,” he continued. “They’re really going to stick to the letter of the law here.”
Gurman believes that Apple may charge developers to be part of the sideloading program, using a process based on configuration profiles. The company may also have a review process for these apps, even though they would be installed outside of the App Store.
Europe approved the Digital Markets Act rules in July 2022, and they entered into force in November. The rules will be applicable starting on May 2, 2023.
MacDailyNews Take: Sounds like a good way to get laws passed, Apple.
Bring ’em on! The company is not “shoot[ing] themselves in the foot.” 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
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Apple had better give out at least 3 warnings about sideloading, as you know a class action lawsuit will follow, if anything goes wrong.
The problem is that people are inherently stupid and expect everything to just work and once they choose to make a secure device into an insecure device its a matter of time before nefarious app developers gets access to those iPhones and we all know that those users are going to blame Apple for their failing iPhones so if they choose side loading Apple need to register the iPhone as side loading device incase the user tries to start a class action for loss of data or having their bank account cleared out.
furthermore; to change their user agreement if they select side loading and remind them that they are exiting the protections of apple by using side loading with examples of the potential consequences and damage that can happen from side loading
An apple data base system should mark a iPhone as being used unsecured as a side loading device so that apple can rely on this info as proof of its non standard use but that system must have the ability to also delete the device from the register if it has had a full apple reset of the iPhone so it can be again be treated as a fully protected and compliant iPhone if resold or reset to factory.
A cost of doing business…
My device, my rules.
My App, my rules.
As long as you don’t sue; it’s your device, your rules, your app and entirely your fault.
Why would I sue when I can make a TikTok of me running an alternate App Store and punish Apple that way? You know, a little FU to them?
What about…
My App Store, my rules?
My iOS platform, my rules?
You have freedom. You have freedom to use another platform.
Yes, I shouldn’t be forced to shop at your store, especially if I don’t like your rules.
So should MS dictate what runs on “their” platform?
Corporations exist only by consent of the chartered sovereign, which for most US based corporations is Delaware, which is subject to US law and ultimately the citizens who choose to vote.
It is highly unlikely that a corporation can cause acute harm or exercise monopoly power for long before it is challenged. No doubt Apple like all other corporations do their best to buy off the people’s representatives, but European and other global regulators, as they previously did with Microsoft and Google, might demonstrate to the corrupt US congress what market manipulation has occurred.
Apple needs to learn to play fair in a bigger sandbox. The fear mongers pointing to Android, that’s not the direction iOS ever needs to go. The Mac is a perfect example of a secure platform that allows users choice. You can restrict your apps to only Apple’s store if you want. In the interest of 3rd party developers and consumers, it’s time to breach the moat.
Vykintas Maknickas, a product strategist at NordVPN says people “diving into sideloading” in iOS 17 without considering the risks are putting their security in danger. “Many malicious actors use third-party app stores to distribute harmful software, such as viruses and malware,” he warns.
“A quick dive into app security research shows that sideloaded Android apps are currently anywhere between 15 and 47 times more infected by malware—so that’s what Apple users have to look forward to if they intend to take advantage of this new feature,”
Not sure why this is downvoted when it’s true. Android is a cesspool. Android malware constitutes 40% of all malware detected by Palo Alto Network’s zero day threat detection technology Wildfire. They analyze billions of files per year and it’s the #1 malware platform. If you want that kind of experience, then use Android. I like my walled garden, it’s why I use iOS.
And no one would force you out of your walled garden you silly man.
sideloading won’t be relevant for most of Apple’s customer base. Most people will stay inside the walled garden not because of freedom or fear of security but because they will never understand why it matters and what it’s for.