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

[Fruit Stand]

As a developer this completely sucks. There will very likely be users who purchase apps that never shop the App Store, which means there will be users who will never find my apps. I could upload to all the other stores, but what will they charge? If there are nine other stores and they each charge $100 annually (the same as Apple) to be a member, that means it will not cost $100, but rather $1000 annually just to maximize the opportunity for downloads on iOS. And there will be no guarantee my apps will get more downloads. Not to mention... that's nine more accounts I have to manage. Nine more sites where the developer has to input their bank information for direct deposits. Nine more opportunities to have bank information stolen because of some hacker. EU legislators are a bunch of ******s. Jeers to Apple for caving on this.

It's actually so ridiculous how far this has gotten. The App Store is no different than buying a Costco membership, in this case the iPhone is the membership and the developers are the vendors selling their product inside Costco who charges a per square foot and percentage of each sale at the till.

It's so funny that people bitched that they didn't have alternatives and options when there is a whole a OS and eco system called Android that specifically caters to this EXACT way of doing things.

 

[glsillygili]

This will be end up being one of those things where 99.9% of users just keep it the same.

Has anyone looked at your co-worker or family's iPhone? There's nothing on it.

They use Safari, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok/YouTube, Notes, Camera.app, Spotify, maybe a banking app and have a few stupid games with expensive in app purchases like Candy Crush.

Your point still stands for Android users. I bet 99% of Android users never go outside the play store (or Chinese app stores in China)

 

[Fruit Stand]

I don’t understand the naysayers. Are you telling me that every app on your MacBook or iMac came from the App Store? ‘Side loading’ as it’s called now is simply how software has been installed on every computer since the beginning.

As someone who’s been using computers since the beginning and has never gotten a virus or been hacked, I HIGHLY appreciate the change.

I don't carry my health data, credit cards and other sensitive information like car keys and smart home setup on my MacBook and iMac. Not the same comparison.

iPhones are arguably as sensitive as a passport or social security number given the amount of personal information housed in them.

Given that, I wouldn't want any unvetted apps from making their way into my iPhone.

 

[JippaLippa]

Not a big fan, but we'll see...
What scares me the most, to be honest, is the fact big apps I need might drop out of the app store.

I use very few apps paid through the appstore, so I'm not that worried.
Actually, I only use Filmic Pro and 1Blocker that are paid through the appstore and I hope they'll keep the option to get them on the store (even at a 30% price increase).

With regards to free apps (like banking apps) I don't see why they'd drop from the store.

I'm also worried that larger access to the phone's inner workings would empower hackers.
I'm not a fan of this move and I don't understand the EU law on it (I get the USB-C one for example).

Also, about the messages app, I really wouldn't want iMessage to open itself to interoperability and that's a really bad idea in general.
If the law passes, all messaging apps would have to communicate together (Signal, Whatsapp, Telegram, Facebook Messenger), and I can't see how this would be an improvement in security...

 

[4743913]

the fact that people had to create a new term for "installing software" means apple's gatekeeping and dictatorial control has gone too far. I'm going to "sideload" adobe premiere on my Mac tonight..

 

[Astropengu]

People who are asking for sideloading have no idea how bad it's going to ruin the UX

"but you don't have to sideload"

yeah until microsoft, google, activision, epic, adobe create their stores and make their apps/games exclusive

then you'll have to install a bunch of apps running 20 auto updater/notification services in the background sucking up all the battery

"but android allowed sideloading and that hasn't happened yet"

yeah because iOS is where the money is. once iOS does it, it'll happen

You do realize each app has to have its own notification server anyway? If anything this would use the same amount of battery because those apps just update when the store is refreshed(Like literally every app you have if you don’t disable it)

 

[revs]

Just because there are other app stores does not mean the downloaded apps can do whatever they want.

They still run in the sandbox, will still have to prompt for access to location, contacts, etc.

The security is not in the App Store, it’s in the OS, Gatekeeper, Sandbox.

 

[GLS]

You know, this brings about a different question.

Apple Family Sharing.

So, my wife, kids and myself are one family. We buy one app, we all have access.

I think you see where this is going.

 

[sir1963nz]

Good luck… unfortunately your bank, company, etc. are going to bypass it, and you cannot leave them. Eurocrats don’t know how to create tech, so they just destroy it.

THAT explains the ARM chips success...oh wait, that was developed in the EU.
Cellphones ?...no EU again.
web browsers ?...wow EU again

I am guessing you are an American who has zero ideas of what the rest of the world actually does.

 

[4743913]

You know, this brings about a different question.

Apple Family Sharing.

So, my wife, kids and myself are one family. We buy one app, we all have access.

I think you see where this is going.

my whole family is using mac apps that I purchased outside of the Mac App Store so no, I don't see where you are going with this.

 

[DanTheMan827]

Hopefully they don't limit this feature to just the EU!

Yes, I called sideloading a feature, because it absolutely is.

Let me use my computer how I please, I don't need hand-holding.

 

[nrose101]

THAT explains the ARM chips success...oh wait, that was developed in the EU.
Cellphones ?...no EU again.
web browsers ?...wow EU again

I am guessing you are an American who has zero ideas of what the rest of the world actually does.

The first personal computer? IBM (USA)

 

[revs]

I don't carry my health data, credit cards and other sensitive information like car keys and smart home setup on my MacBook and iMac. Not the same comparison.

iPhones are arguably as sensitive as a passport or social security number given the amount of personal information housed in them.

Given that, I wouldn't want any unvetted apps from making their way into my iPhone.

You would have to allow them access, the same as any other app.

 

[0924487]

I only sideload two apps, modified YouTube and Instagram.

 

[GLS]

my whole family is using mac apps that I purchased outside of the Mac App Store so no, I don't see where you are going with this.

Some outside Mac apps have a license for 1 computer only. Others let you install it multiple times.

Apple Family Sharing, if you are not aware, lets up to 6 family members have apps purchased on the Mac and iOS app store. One purchase, 6 users.

If Tweetbot decides to go to an outside app store, which is their perogrative, then will they still allow one purchase = multiple users, or will they lock it down to one purchase per user.

 

[tgwaste]

US next, for better or for worse.

Agreed. It's my device, not Apple's.

 

[4743913]

Some outside Mac apps have a license for 1 computer only. Others let you install it multiple times.

Apple Family Sharing, if you are not aware, lets up to 6 family members have apps purchased on the Mac and iOS app store. One purchase, 6 users.

I know this may come as a shock to you, but not all of the AppStore apps have family sharing enabled.

 

[tgwaste]

It's actually so ridiculous how far this has gotten. The App Store is no different than buying a Costco membership, in this case the iPhone is the membership and the developers are the vendors selling their product inside Costco who charges a per square foot and percentage of each sale at the till.

It's so funny that people bitched that they didn't have alternatives and options when there is a whole a OS and eco system called Android that specifically caters to this EXACT way of doing things.

The worst analogy ever written.

 

[glsillygili]

the fact that people had to create a new term for "installing software" means apple's gatekeeping and dictatorial control has gone too far. I'm going to "sideload" adobe premiere on my Mac tonight..

I'm going to start saying sideload everytime I install a program on windows or an app from a DMG on a mac

 

[kirky29]

This is the best Apple News I’ve heard in years. About time.

 

[Lounge vibes 05]

It would be cool if the Messages app was similar to the Files app in that you could select from different sources instead of having to use different applications.
For example, there could be a side bar that pops out with an option for “all”, “iMessage”, “Facebook Messenger”, “WhatsApp”, etc, so you could have all of your conversations in one application that developers could tie their apps to.
I don’t see why this should be a debated issue, it’s literally what “iChat” and the early version of messages on the Mac used to do.
You could log into all of your instant messaging accounts and have them all in one application, it was very nice

 

[tgwaste]

..."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.

 

[tgwaste]

It's pretty straightforward. Emulators, despite being cool are a legal gray area. Apple not allowing them isn't because of a conspiracy, they're not doing it because of legal reasons. If they allowed emulators they would be hit with lawsuits from Sony, Nintendo, Sega, whoever. It's not worth the hassle of getting sued by everybody and fighting it out in court so nerds can pirate old games. I'm sure Apple would be happy to sell you an emulator for $5 and take 30% otherwise.

Emulators are not illegal at all. The Roms are.

 

[rjp1]

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

That's the great thing about choice. You can continue to do that.

 

[Spaceboi Scaphandre]

Not a big fan, but we'll see...
What scares me the most, to be honest, is the fact big apps I need might drop out of the app store.

If an app drops out of the app store, it's because the publisher of said app felt like it wasn't worth it to stay on the app store. That's not a sideloading problem that's a service problem, a failure on Apple to not provide a service that was better than buying the app directly from the vendor. That's competition.

Besides, most (if any) won't leave as evident from Android. Android has had sideloading since the beginning, and despite that everyone still has their apps on the Google Play and Samsung Stores since they provide convenience.