Apple Working to Add Support for Sideloading and Alternate App Stores in Europe

[SpotOnT]

So who's forcing you to use alt app stores?

My guess is corporations will. You need to install our app to activate your new credit card, car loan, fly on our airline, etc

Oh and by the way our app screen records your phone, logs all your passwords, etc. so it won’t be on the App Store, you will have to download it directly from our website. Don’t want your phone being logged, you say? Well good luck finding a credit card that doesn’t do the same thing.

Until the federal government passes some digital protections there is nothing to stop corporations from doing this.

Even if it doesn’t go that far, why wouldn’t large companies like Microsoft, Google, Adobe, make their apps exclusive to their own store. Than you have to install multiple app store apps, manage separate update settings, etc. How does that benefit the user? And again, what is to stop Google Maps from reinstalled all the tracking services that aren’t allowed on the App Store?

 

[Ethosik]

My apologies, you said you WANT a babysitter.

Locked down environment != babysitter. VERY VERY large gap between the two. So where did I say I WANT a babysitter? Its not a babysitter, its just one vetted app store.

 

[Shalev Lazarof]

those android/PC guys that set this rule have no idea.

 

[2WheelsGood]

So where did I say I WANT a babysitter?

In every post since your first.

But let’s move on to a better question: this is coming to the EU for sure, and likely the States will follow. If that happens, what will you do to keep you and your grandma safe? You didn’t like the flip-phone idea, so, short of that, how will you handle this nightmare being forced upon you? What will be your plan for getting past the ransomware so you can call 911, as you so alarmingly put it?

 

[Ethosik]

In every post since your first.

But let’s move on to a better question: this is coming to the EU for sure, and likely the States will follow. If that happens, what will you do to keep you and your grandma safe? You didn’t like the flip-phone idea, so, short of that, how will you handle this nightmare being forced upon you? What will be your plan for getting past the ransomware so you can call 911, as you so alarmingly put it?

WHERE? Where did I utter the words "I want a babysitter"? Just because I prefer iPhone and a single store does NOT mean I want a babysitter. This is a VERY large leap. This is like saying "you want a babysitter because you want to install signed applications!"

My grandma actually did move to a flip phone just recently. Even the iPhone got too much for her. She has a jitterbug.

I do not want a flip phone, but for my grandma its perfect. She doesn't need apps on her phone.

 

[contacos]

Look harder. If you have looked at all.
There are a lot of them. I have quite a few.

Question is, did they decide not to put them on the PlayStore or did those apps not follow the google guidelines and simply wouldn’t have been approved anyway

 

[gmcoates]

I guess they will allow side loading/other app stores but the app would still need to be signed, you c(w)ould still need an apple developer account to sign the app. The legislation about where the apps come from in the EU has forced these options however it may not have considered that Apple could still make valid certificates and signing to be required for the app to execute. This way they comply with legislation and and still provide a level of protection, not much but some.

 

[pacificblue]

Oh and by the way our app screen records your phone, logs all your passwords, etc. so it won’t be on the App Store, you will have to download it directly from our website. Don’t want your phone being logged, you say? Well good luck finding a credit card that doesn’t do the same thing.

Either you are a fool or you are spreading FUD on purpose. Sandboxed apps do not get some magical technology to “screen record your phone” or “log all your passwords” outside of the app, regardless of the distribution method. What a dumb comment.

 

[2WheelsGood]

I do not want a flip phone, but for my grandma its perfect. She doesn't need apps on her phone.

Right, so answer my question. What are you going to do after this goes into effect? Certainly, you won’t be able to trust your iPhone any longer, so what will you get to keep you from getting infected from some random porn sites you accidentally visit? And what will you get to guarantee that 911 call goes through?

 

[Muzzakus]

If Apple really had guts, they would say screw you Europe and pull out of Europe. Now that would be funny.

There would probably be more people in Europe then that would want an iPhone, Mac, iPad, etc, than ever before, because now they could not buy one. This would force their governments to just shut up. 🤣

You mean Courage

 

[Mac Rules]

Your choice? Why did you pick iOS in the first place, which had been a walled garden for more than 10 years? Sounds like you made a poor decision.

For the same reasons you likely did. Doesn’t mean it was perfect, no platform is, and this is a step in the right direction.

 

[Mac Rules]

What’s the difference? Your iPhone is more powerful than a laptop from even a few years ago, runs the same core OS, there is absolutely no reason not to make the comparison.

 

[WiseAJ]

Thanks EU for ruining iOS.

 

[ian87w]

For the same reasons you likely did. Doesn’t mean it was perfect, no platform is, and this is a step in the right direction.

Not really. I chose to buy my iPhone 7+ explicitly because it's a walled garden. For everything else, I have my S21. I never wanted my iPhone to be as open as my S21. Knowing what you need first will serve you better than forcing your preference as the default for everyone.

 

[ian87w]

those android/PC guys that set this rule have no idea.

Oh they do. They receive proper "incentives" from certain companies/bodies.

 

[boyarka]

Excellent news, great job EU! Next up should be right to repair: to force that arrogant narcissistic company to allow third party repairs without the locked down "calibration" that needs to be performed and end the parts supply monopoly.
A good idea shoulf also be to force electronics makes to have extended hardware/software life so that perfectly functional ptoducts don't become "vintage" after only some few years.

 

[Vespi]

It's my phone, I paid for it, I can do whatever I want with it.

But you borrow the software, you cant do whatever you want with the software

 

[Vespi]

..."But there is Android" is NOT a valid argument. We are not talking about Android we are talking about iOS and more specifically a piece of hardware that belongs to ME.

Still not your software and without software you cant do sh*t

 

[2WheelsGood]

Still not your software and without software you cant do sh*t

Clearly the EU disagrees.

 

[Veerasayz]

So with this, iOS==Android

 

[Macalicious2011]

nope nope nope. if your app is not in the apple app store i will not be using it

Good for you.

I believe that choice is good and will be healthy for users and 3rd party developers.

 

[geartau]

It's a matter of trust. If MS moves Office, Candy Crush and Diablo to their own store we can all choose whether to trust that store and its update mechanism or not. If you don't, don't use it.

that doesn't make sense. users aren't going to give up their level 80+ character they spent several hundred hours on developing just because they don't like the update mechanism.

But most devs aren't going to want to run their own store either. They'll use the App Store or another large marketplace because it's too much of a PITA and too expensive to run your own.

except when you are a leader in the gaming industry where 30% cut accounts for tens of billions of dollars per year, running your own store is financially viable. plus it makes it easier for users to switch off of iOS as their apps would easily carry over to another platform.

It also behooves devs to be on the default marketplace as well. Look at the Kindle App. It is everywhere. Amazon has their own store that you can add on to android but they have it everywhere. Why? Because most people don't go outside the default.

not equatable. read above. millions of players aren't going to give up their progress in video games. professional industries aren't easily going to switch off of adobe creative cloud or microsoft office.

borderlands used to be on sale for steam, but their sequel borderlands 3 became time exclusive to epic games. people hated that, yet still was highly successful during the first 5 days after launch, sales wise.

you as an individual can easily switch off because those are only a few apps you use which happen to be easily interchangable. unlikely true for the majority of gamers and professionals.

 

[geartau]

I live in China and have 3 different stores on my Android phone. I've set all to only work when I tell them to. It is fine.

it's not fine.

i downloaded apps from f-droid but it did not have autobackup capability. so when I reinstalled android, it lost all of my settings for all apps from f-droid.

bad UX.

 

[Athonline]

is it possible or even feasible to offer two phone options? one with an iOS version that offers side loading etc and a "secure" iOS version that doesn't? I'd buy the latter every time, tyvm. and pay extra for the privilege.

They do this already; iPhones sold in Russia come with preloaded state-provided apps.

 

[Kierkegaarden]

Just like Ming-Chi Kuo,? the insider that more times isn't right

Yeah, and Kuo seems like he has an axe to grind lately.