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Obviously you weren’t downloading from trusted sources then. When I had an Android for 8+ years I side loaded all the time and never had an issue.

Just like anything if you don’t use common sense and download anything from anywhere then you’ll run into trouble. Download from trusted sources and you’ll be perfectly safe.

People have been doing it for years on Android, Windows, Linux, and MacOS. So why do people need their hand held with iOS??

Apple obviously doesn’t care about sideloading on MacOS but they do on iOS…I wonder why? Because they will lose money.

I hope people who are against sideloading also don’t have a Mac….
It's not using untrusted sites for sourcing Jars/apks but having enough of the process when a app store is readily accessible with all the apps most of the ios userbase would need
 
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Apple obviously doesn’t care about sideloading on MacOS but they do on iOS…I wonder why? Because they will lose money.

Yeah, since installing apps from alternate sources is fine on a Mac with 8GB of memory, no reason this should be an issue on an iPhone or iPad. Apple is reluctant because they will lose money. On a Mac, it wasn't feasible to ban sideloading because who would buy a Mac then, and they had to sell it to people who do actual work on their computers. On the iPhone they figured they could get away with it so they went with the privacy and security angle, but in the end it will be the same as with the Mac. You get a warning, click Allow and you'll have apps running more or less the same as any app you can install now.

In the old days I could see Apple's concern, but not for privacy and security reasons. When I did a jailbreak on my sister's 3GS, the phone became unusable after six months so I did a factory reset and all was good again. I guess the phone didn't have the computing power to keep it running smoothly without the OS managing apps more tightly. I think now this won't be an issue.
 
I wonder how this will be managed?

Through user account region or IP range allowlist or geolocation or something else? imagine if all I need to do is log in with an EU account or change to an EU VPN server!
IP addresses can be spoofed so I'm guessing that your home continent will be determined by a connected credit card or bank account, as this is currently the case with Apple Music (iTunes) accounts. Or in worst case, where you bought the iPad/iPhone (so by hardware ID).

no thanks, had my fair share of java apps prior to android then android apks. Not looking to go through this if available. I'm sure there will be a big warning and opt in process for the user to be warned prior to sideloading
I hope that there will be two iOS versions you can choose: one without "side-loading" at all, and another with. This is the most safest way. I really would not like it to be a switch that can be flipped easily.

So proud of the EU ❤️
Bazinga!

I hate how we’ve been tricked into using the word ‘sideloading’ which suggests it’s something dodgy and dangerous to do. In my day it was called ‘installing’.
Yeah... I would argue that "installing" isn't always correct either. In my early days you'd simply load an application, either from harddisk or other media. We went to "installing" when MS Windows applications came around and its applications started to be bunch of files scattered around in multiple (system) folders. The DDL hell. That's why I started to like MacOS 25 years ago, as most applications were just one single file. Easy to manage. Even Photoshop at the time was one file on a Mac. I kept that one on a ZIP disk.
 
Fortunately iOS is designed to sandbox and block apps from accessing things that either Apple or the user don't want an app to access, this shouldn't change with sideloading.
I trust the Software Architects and other very talented people at Apple to solve these problems, but I am definitely keeping my eye on the developments. I'm guessing they'll notify Developers in the Apple Developer app when they get closer to implementation.
 
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This would be amazing, but I bet Apple will require developer signing like they try to do on macOS (but can be bypassed with a right click). Which I guess would defeat the purpose. But I'm hoping that it will finally allow certain types of apps that have been available on Android to finally make their way to iOS, though I wouldn't be surprised if nothing really changed.
 
Apple obviously doesn’t care about sideloading on MacOS but they do on iOS…I wonder why? Because they will lose money.

People generally download fewer apps on a Mac compared to iOS. So the security risk is greater on a smartphone.


For the last few months, I have been getting reports of android smartphone users being tricked into downloading scam apps from sources like Facebook ads. You can laugh at them for being stupid and naive all you want. Point is, these are real people who have lost their life savings, and this particular vector of attack would not have been possible on iOS.

All this “Apple is in it solely for the money” rhetoric is disingenuous. I can understand people wanting to download apps otherwise unavailable in the App Store for whatever reason. At least be honest and admit that there are also downsides involved, and that there are legitimate advantages to the App Store being as locked down as it is.
 
I wonder how this will be managed?

Through user account region or IP range allowlist or geolocation or something else? imagine if all I need to do is log in with an EU account or change to an EU VPN server!
Good question. IPhones can be used without an Apple ID, so in theory it should not rely on that (though it might if you use an account). They could exclude iPhone models not sold in the EU (like the US models without SIM tray). Or they might require a EU phone number (maybe that's the most likely?), or a registered payment method with EU billing address.
 
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I don't see what is so bad about side loading when it comes to security. It is not like Apple is going to let those apps have access to the system or anything like that. It will still be limited to its own sandbox. Don't expect to suddenly be able to download an App to change your system icons for example. Not gonna happen. Sideloading =/ jailbreak
 
People angry that Apple won’t make as much money. Poor Apple!

You are rejecting freedom just so a multi-trillion dollar company can make money.

This is a win for everyone unless you’re a hardcore fanboy or shareholder.

Android, Windows, and MacOS have “side loading” so it’s not as scary and dangerous as Apple would like you to believe. If you believe their lies then stay in your little walled garden safe space and Apple will hold your hand.
Calling it “sideloading” is already nothing but pure propaganda. It’s installing an app.
 
About time! Thanks EU.

Hope it comes to the UK… lol

And for those who are about to wail and moan: don’t use it. Simple!

Good and well ofcourse, until developers of important / required apps start removing their apps from the Apple App Store and require you to use theirs.

For example I know for a fact that Meta is working on an App Store of their own. I don't want Meta's "privacy" on my phone. And getting my family, friends and collogues all to switch to iMessage is quite impossible. Also I don't want iMessage to connect to Meta because of the same issue!

Because of this I am looking to import my next iPhone from the US. Or change my account to the US if it's connected to the account.

And before you say "that will never happen". It already IS happening with PC games. Epic gives a lot of money to (indie) game developers to exclusively release their games on the Epic Games Store which is filled with Chinese (Tencent) spyware. And this goes as far as these companies removing their games off of Steam or other PC games outlets.
 
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People keep comparing this to MacOS but don't seem to be smart enough to realize the data on your phone is significantly more sensitive than the data on your MacBook. Health, Payment, Accounts, contacts, etc. Most of this data I believe is stored on device as part of Apple's "Privacy" efforts. You know all those times Craig or Tim said "And it all stays on device so we can't see a thing!". That's what is at stake basically.

Lets not forget the whole reason this issue keeps coming up over and over again is due to the usual: Money

These massive corps don't want to pay Apple's tax because it's in the millions and sometimes billions.

It's not about freedom. It is literally a money play. I say that as both a Software Developer and happy Apple user.

And for people who will inevitably say "You don't have to use side loading if you don't want to!"...I find it hard to believe companies won't make whatever the third party App Store version of their iOS/iPadOS app cheaper than on the official App Store. It is quite literally inevitable since it gives them leeway to not be as scrutinized in Apple's privacy efforts 🙂
Apps will be cheaper on the independent stores, but if the Apple App Store is as good as Apple says it is in attracting users, then developers will still make more money on the Appel store.
 
Good and well ofcourse, until developers of important / required apps start removing their apps from the Apple App Store and require you to use theirs.

Has not happened to the Google Playstore in all these years, will not happen to the AppStore. If anything, you will have different sources to get the same App from. I also doubt most people are going to use it (it will probably be hidden in some developer settings menu). No one I know even knows "Contact Posters" exists, hardly anyone I know even uses Focus modes either or understands what short cuts do.

I doubt the average person, picking an iPhone over an Android device because it "just works" in the first place are suddenly going to be interested in those extra steps of side loading
 
I wonder how many will install questionable apps and then blame Apple for data loss.You will see how many people will say that iPhones are no longer as secure.
I can already see the headlines in the manipulative media :)
Do you often see headlines about that regarding Windows, OSX, Android, Linux and so? It certainly happens on those operating systems, but… it’s rarely major headline making news (unless it’s REALLY bad).
 
Has not happened to the Google Playstore in all these years, will not happen to the AppStore. If anything, you will have different sources to get the same App from. I also doubt most people are going to use it (it will probably be hidden in some developer settings menu). No one I know even knows "Contact Posters" exists, hardly anyone I know even uses Focus modes either or understands what short cuts do.

I doubt the average person, picking an iPhone over an Android device because it "just works" in the first place are suddenly going to be interested in those extra steps of side loading

Check my edit. This already happens to the Epic Games Store on Windows which force game developers / publishers to remove their games off of Steam or other PC game stores.

Also it IS happening on Android. With Fortnite releasing only using Epics own launcher.
 
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