You have never needed Xcode to make iOS apps, it has just been a requirement to get it signed and provided through the iOS app store.
It’s rare for ant application or software provided through Cydia to use Xcode.
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iOS 17.4 Coming Soon as iPhone App Sideloading Deadline in EU Nears
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It’s rare for ant application or software provided through Cydia to use Xcode.
But those are not "ipa" files and require system access, breaking the sandbox anyway no? Apple is never ever going to allow this.
27 of 44 European countries are in the EU. 30 countries are part of the European Economic Area, in which basicially EU rules apply. Plus Switzerland, which also adopts many EU regulations.
That might not be all of Europe, but it's by far the largest part of it.
Switzerland expects Apple to implement the EU rules in its own territory too as it's usually what platforms do when implementing EU regulations. Switzerland is a very small country in the middle of EU territories and I guess dealing with different rules for it alone is not worth the effort.
If that would not happen I expect Switzerland would likely move to enact their own regulation mirroring the EU.
Some are ipa files, and there a tone of software on cydia that doesn’t require a jailbreak that can be installed with cydia impactor.
(app on the computer that signs the ipa file)
Ther was a short time when other companies developed Xcode alternatives until Apple banned their use for the AppStore.
If you are not interested in an alternative App Store, nothing will change for you, but you will have a choice once the change goes into effect.
Many of these are quite funny I must admit.
- If meta leaves the AppStore to their own store, I would simply not use their apps. And use something else.
- When epic payed for exclusives to leave steam, I just bought something else instead until the game returned to steam.
- Are you so hooked that if a developer leaves you must follow instead of picking another one?
- A phone and a portable pc is mutually interchangeable. Both contain sensitive personal information.
- Apple isn’t the only one who wants to make a profit. If Apple loses 0.01€ or 1 billion € is not my concern or problem.
- a) They do that anyway, remember the 600$ iPhone? And now we have 1.500$ iPhones in the same price class as their computers.
- b) well if Apple wants to do that they can, and developers can leave if they want to alternative services as well.
- c) that’s the price of competition. Apple isn’t entitled to the profit developers make.
- d) considering free apps today must pay 99$ a year, we will see more free apps and passion projects that can’t pay the 99$ fee a year just to allow their apps to be online
- e) the apps currently are already bombarded with adds.
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Meh, what a mess this will be. Am all for iOS being opened up but it's going to suck. If only Apple had given enough slack to deter the need for regulation.
Something like this could happen to someone you know, or it could even happen to you some day.
Android malware scam victims lost more than S$10 million in first half of 2023: Police
Over 750 cases of Android malware-related scams were reported in the first half of 2023, including 11 cases involving the unauthorised withdrawal of Central Provident Fund savings.
Never say never.
You are spot on. The EU regulation only requires Apple to give consumers a choice instead of forcing them to use the Apple App Store, nothing more. If, with iOS 17.4 the process to use an alternative App Store is overly complicated, or security is unnecessarily reduced even for those not using an alternative App Store, it's only because Apple is petty and vindictive, which is unfortunately becoming more and more common.
Actually, it was very well thought through. Apps rejected by Appstore can be available on alternate app stores. Apple can no longer be able to reject an App for whimsical reasons. They know that the developer has other avenues to publish the app. The stranglehold will be loosened a bit.
Oh! They will not kick Apple out. They will keep fining Apple 10% of their global revenues until Apple leaves or the stock holders get rid of any CEO who tries this and get a new one who will kowtow to the laws and still be able to make profits.
I have to say, I think you are right.
Although we can use words like petty.... Apple DO NOT want to have to comply with this ruling and yet they must - so you can guarantee they will be VERY careful to do the absolute minimum they have to in order to comply whilst at the same time making it as unattractive to users as they possibly can.
I suspect going forward the 'audience' for whatever these 3rd party app stores will be will be statistically so low as the majority in the EU will just stick to the Apple app store that the use and need for 3rd parties will wither or at the very least just be seen as incredibly niche.
As I’ve said before, I’m mostly in favor of sideloading, and hope it rolls out worldwide. But I have several issues with the argument you’re trying to make here.
1. Many people use Meta services for business purposes. It’s not necessarily a matter of being “so hooked” or “addicted”. Many people need to use it for business to receive messages from clients, manage a page so customers can find their business, etc. Besides being a home for memes, it’s also a very important business tool. And this is the case for other softwares too. Many softwares are required for business use, and either don’t have alternatives, or companies have decided to standardize with an app service, so the company requires you use that app. If it has to be sideloaded, then that person really doesn’t have much of a choice to “just ignore sideloading”.
2. A lot of people feel safer storing more personal information on a phone then on an ordinary computer. While it’s true that they can both hold the same kinds of personal information, they often don’t. Case in point, I have zero banking apps installed on my Mac.
3. Since Apple created and maintains the iOS platform, they have every right to ask for a commission on App sales. Especially when they’re within the App Store, but even outside it since developers will still be using Apple-built code APIs, tools, etc.
As long as Apple meets the bare minimums for compliance any EU actions are likely to wind up in long court battles and changes to te EU rules which also take time. I suspect side loading will be a long ongoing battle.
While I’m in favor of adding sideloading worldwide, I don’t think you can claim that if sideloading reduces security on iOS it’s just Apple being petty and vindictive. Sideloading inherently adds extra risks. And what you deem as “overly complicated” is entirely subjective. I for one hope they’ll require at least one toggle to be switched on in Settings, and use popups to warn users that they’re enabling sideloading, installing software from the internet, etc. Some may consider this “overly complicated” but I think there absolutely should be a series of warnings and toggles so that nobody gets duped into doing it without any warnings.
True. But malware exists in Apple AppStore too https://lifehacker.com/great-now-the-apple-app-store-has-malware-too-1849386738Something like this could happen to someone you know, or it could even happen to you some day.
Android malware scam victims lost more than S$10 million in first half of 2023: Police
Over 750 cases of Android malware-related scams were reported in the first half of 2023, including 11 cases involving the unauthorised withdrawal of Central Provident Fund savings.www.channelnewsasia.com
Never say never.
Malicious Apps With Millions of Downloads Found in Apple App Store, Google Play
The ongoing ad fraud campaign can be traced back to 2019, but recently expanded into the iOS ecosystem, researchers say.
So that original argument I was reacting to is just nil.
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The fact that the EU somehow has the authority to demand 10% of Apple's GLOBAL revenue is by far one of the most excessively overreaching bits of crap. The EU's economic authority ENDS at their boundaries. Therefore, they shouldn't be entitled to ANY revenue that doesn't come from within their boundaries. Demanding global revenue just shows one thing...those power-hungry bureaucrats want more money.
Imagine the uproar if the US demanded a piece of Apple's worldwide revenue. Uproar that would be rightly deserved
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True. But malware exists in Apple AppStore too https://lifehacker.com/great-now-the-apple-app-store-has-malware-too-1849386738
Malicious Apps With Millions of Downloads Found in Apple App Store, Google Play
The ongoing ad fraud campaign can be traced back to 2019, but recently expanded into the iOS ecosystem, researchers say.www.darkreading.com
So that argument is just nil.
I get your point, but the example you linked to shows malware present in the Mac App Store, while we are talking about the iOS App Store here.
In the article I linked to, it seems that all the cases occurred on android handsets, because the scam involved tricking users into installing malware on their devices via external links. No iPhones were reported to have been affected through this particular instance of scam.
So in the very least, the inability to sideload appears to have protected iOS users from one particular instance of malware. Is that worth the inability to sideload altogether? I guess it depends on who you ask, but I just wish to put to rest the popular argument that sideloading doesn’t impact people who “choose not to” sideload.
The first article refer to Mac apps, not iOS, and in the second Android had ~10x the malware problem. The App Store may not be perfect but even your quote shows it significantlt etter than Android; and the article doesn't even touch on non-Play App Store malware numbers.True. But malware exists in Apple AppStore too https://lifehacker.com/great-now-the-apple-app-store-has-malware-too-1849386738
Malicious Apps With Millions of Downloads Found in Apple App Store, Google Play
The ongoing ad fraud campaign can be traced back to 2019, but recently expanded into the iOS ecosystem, researchers say.
So that argument is just nil.
I've linked two articles.
Second one is talking about iOS specifically.
Is it more of a problem on Android? Definitely. Is App Store 100% clear and safe app guarantee? Not at all.
So this is not about sideloading. The malware is already there. On both Android and iOS, whether you like or not. That's the reality, no point in being in denial.
Second one is talking about iOS specifically.
Is it more of a problem on Android? Definitely. Is App Store 100% clear and safe app guarantee? Not at all.
So this is not about sideloading. The malware is already there. On both Android and iOS, whether you like or not. That's the reality, no point in being in denial.
Country A has 1% crime rate.
Country B has 10% crime rate.
By your reasoning, Country A would be a failure so long as there is even a single instance of crime, and that law enforcement should simply not bother. Never mind that they are clearly doing a better job of keeping their citizens safe and reducing the incidence of people falling victim to crime.
I don’t anticipate many iOS app developers actually leaving the App Store, at least not anytime soon. This regulation would potentially give iOS app developers additional ways to market/distribute their iOS apps instead of having to only use the App Store but Apple would still want to keep the App Store a competitive and viable option. iOS developers would be using other options in addition to, not necessarily instead of, the App Store.
The main "control" being used here is Apple trying to force iOS app developers and users to use Apple's App Store for apps on a major mobile OS (part of a duopoly with Android). The EU regulations can make it possible for those developers and users to have more choices, and more choices means more companies competing for their business.