Setapp Planning to Launch Alternative App Store for iOS in Europe

[robbietop]

Huh, a company that curates apps that are good, doesn't allow cheap imitators or outright piracy, and prohibits any and all pornography....kinda like the Apple App Store.

So, we have to allow other companies to do the thing Apple is already doing?

 

[rhegyi]

Well it's a good thing YOU DON'T HAVE TO. Just like on Android it is completely optional. You don't want to sideload, you don't have to. Keep the toggle off and stick with the Apple App Store. But it's there if you want to ever change your mind and want to venture outside of the walled garden.

Yes, just like Android...Riddled with viruses and stolen user information... Can't you see the EU is another unnecessary bloated layer of government that just collects taxes and fees making laws that benefit who? Just so they can clink their champagne glasses and create useless jobs for political cronies... Yes their looking out for YOU.... HA....

 

[Dorv]

Apple needs to pull out of Europe.

SetApp is malware.

In what way? Show your work if you're just going to throw shade.

 

[Spaceboi Scaphandre]

How will sideloading potentially affect the security of our phones? Does Apple now have to constantly defend against malicious unapproved apps? How much money and effort should they spend to modify software every time a sideloaded app wrecks havoc on iOS?

Did you forget the Mac exists? They can just do the same thing they do on the Mac, which is app signatures. Signed apps launch with no problems. Unsigned apps will require the user to go through more verifications before it launches.

Sideloading ain't a big deal like everyone makes it out to be lmao. You're all worrying over nothing

 

[toobravetosave]

re: DMA - I think that is a dumb move. I am not comfortable having a "side load" on my iPhone due to security issues.

So don’t side load

 

[toobravetosave]

Huh, a company that curates apps that are good, doesn't allow cheap imitators or outright piracy, and prohibits any and all pornography....kinda like the Apple App Store.

So, we have to allow other companies to do the thing Apple is already doing?

Apple app store is just filled with spam and the big name apps everyone has anyway

 

[DelayedGratificationGene]

Lol! Who says the developers wouldn’t have to pay the platform usage commission? As Tim already said in court that Apple will allow sideloading and now just have to invoice them. A lot of new unnecessary work for both parties as a result of clueless grandstanding politicians.

 

[Small White Car]

Did you forget the Mac exists? They can just do the same thing they do on the Mac, which is app signatures. Signed apps launch with no problems. Unsigned apps will require the user to go through more verifications before it launches.

Sideloading ain't a big deal like everyone makes it out to be lmao. You're all worrying over nothing

I do not want my phone to work like my Mac so “they can just do it the same” is exactly the argument I would use for why this is a bad idea.

 

[jimbobb24]

Is AppleTV also part of the DMA requirements? Sideloading on AppleTV would be great.

Is the PS5? Is the Xbox? How about the switch? Or my Ti86? How about Fortnite? Does their store have to allow competitor stores and other digital currencies?

These are stupid laws which will ruin a lot of nice things. No one will be able to avoid side loading. There will be no choice….eventually some organization or your job’s IT department will force side loading on you.

Many of us will wish for the old days when the iPhone wasn’t a garbage mess like android but govts couldn’t help themselves.

 

[Future Dwight]

Did you forget the Mac exists? They can just do the same thing they do on the Mac, which is app signatures. Signed apps launch with no problems. Unsigned apps will require the user to go through more verifications before it launches.

Sideloading ain't a big deal like everyone makes it out to be lmao. You're all worrying over nothing

Wrong. There's much more opportunities for fraud on mobile devices. There's much devices available. More verifications won't do it. Just watch fraud videos on YouTube. So much people are still clicking on email links. It's a business on itself.

 

[Lounge vibes 05]

Since Apple is only a hardware company…

In what world has this ever been true?
Apple has been designing software since the 70s, selling software since the 80s and today services makes them a ton of money every year.

 

[n-evo]

I hope the UK is still considered part of ‘Europe’

The UK’s definitely part of Europe. Just not part of the EU who’s pushing for this:

The European Union's Digital Markets Act (DMA), which came into effect on November 1, 2022, requires "gatekeeper" companies to open up their services and platforms to other companies and developers.

 

[DelayedGratificationGene]

Yes very true. Leave the Walled Garden at your own risk. I’ve heard one identity theft hack will negatively affect you and your credit for the rest of your life. No thanks!

 

[Akrapovic]

How will sideloading potentially affect the security of our phones? Does Apple now have to constantly defend against malicious unapproved apps? How much money and effort should they spend to modify software every time a sideloaded app wrecks havoc on iOS?

Same way they do with Mac currently.

The functionality to do this already exists within iOS anyway, as this is how Enterprise applications and ad-hoc distribution works. You can distribute an app via sideloading, or BitRise download or whatever, and as long as the certificate is valid it will work. When the certificate expires (or Apple pulls it), the app will be removed. We distribute apps like this in the workplace, and build others for clients.

The functionality to do this already exists, and is in heavy use in the workplace. This is already a solved issue.

There is the grey area of "what is an app isn't malware, but is scammy" is of course still there. But the App Store is now filled with apps which are a free trial and then £50 a week for games which prey on children. Lets now pretend the App Store has kept us safe from this.

Side note: I'm an iOS Developer. I probably won't put my app in other app stores unless they make it as easy and beneficial as Apple does. But I still think these stores should exist and the App Store "safety" thing is a myth.

 

[jimbobb24]

So don’t side load

Others have pointed out this will not be optional. That’s complete propaganda to say otherwise. Eventually, in practical terms, you will be forced to side load. It’s not going to be optional.

 

[diddl14]

What am I paying $60 to $120 a year for? Setapp? There will be plenty of other apps - available direct from the publisher - cheaper, as I won't have to pay the 30% Apple Tax. Using the Setapp service does not mean less privacy and security. Why would you correlate the two? By the way, we use euro not dollars for the most part in the EU.

Lol, you really think any publisher will make things substancially cheaper running their own store? Cost and profits are just distributed a bit differently. End-user pricing will not be changed except for higher prices on the AppStore to make it appear things are cheaper on other stores.

 

[jimbobb24]

What am I paying $60 to $120 a year for? Setapp? There will be plenty of other apps - available direct from the publisher - cheaper, as I won't have to pay the 30% Apple Tax. Using the Setapp service does not mean less privacy and security. Why would you correlate the two? By the way, we use euro not dollars for the most part in the EU.

You think the apple scale effect of resources isn’t more cost effective than a little developer hosting their app. Remember … the 30% covers a service. They will have to provide that service for themselves and very likely they will try to capture the “Apple tax” as you call it, for themselves. It’s entirely possible prices will stay exactly the same.

 

[toobravetosave]

Others have pointed out this will not be optional. That’s complete propaganda to say otherwise. Eventually, in practical terms, you will be forced to side load. It’s not going to be optional.

By the time youre actually forced to in practical terms it won’t be “sideloading” it will just be an open platform like mac

 

[sw1tcher]

re: DMA - I think that is a dumb move. I am not comfortable having a "side load" on my iPhone due to security issues.

Yeah, this is a dumb move by the DMA. No iPhone user should be forced to get their apps from Setapp and....

Wait a second. You're not being forced to use Setapp. Or sideload. Or do anything. This is being provided as an option to Apple's App Store.

Option:
1. an act of choosing
2. the power or right to choose : freedom of choice
3. something that may be chosen: such as

a : an alternative course of action​

b : an item that is offered in addition to or in place of standard equipment​

Don't feel comfortable using Setapp? Don't use it, use the Apple App Store instead.

Crazy that consumers would complain about having more options.

 

[Spaceboi Scaphandre]

I do not want my phone to work like my Mac so “they can just do it the same” is exactly the argument I would use for why this is a bad idea.

Why wouldn't you want it to work like the Mac? The Mac is very stable and secure. Plus again: Sideloading is optional.

Seriously what is the problem here? Are you afraid developers are gonna leave the App Store? They ain't lmao. Sideloading is on Android yet developers haven't left the Google Play Store.

 

[JanLp]

I hope the UK is still considered part of ‘Europe’

No, you are not. And thank you for that 🙏

 

[contacos]

Forget Setapp. How about Cydia? I'd kill for Cydia to finally become a legit alternative app store, no longer requiring jailbreaking

I don't think "allowing other app stores" equals "giving those 3rd party apps system access". You will simply be able to download an APP in its own sandbox from different platforms but it does not mean you will be allowed to tweak system related things. Android does not even allow that if I am not mistaken unless you root your device.

--

Apple did a pretty great job "brainwashing" people. Making it seem like they are the only ones that you can trust with your data or bank information like ... personally I have been using my credit card for buying things online all my life without issues and none of them are related to Apple. Why is Apple seen as the holy grail?

I actually have a good example of Apple being "not so great". Just 2 weeks ago, a tiny company from the US used our company name and brand to launch an App on the App Store so if you searched for our company, you would see their app right below our app, with literally the same name and Apple did not ban it until we took it to the lawyer. You would think they'd do something as basic as checking if an app with the same name is already on the store?

 

[syklee26]

Apple needs to pull out of Europe.

SetApp is malware.

This is why you are never going to become the Executive. This is frankly the dumbest comment I have seen a while. Pull out of Europe and give up about 30-40% of revenue?

 

[jimbobb24]

By the time youre actually forced to in practical terms it won’t be “sideloading” it will just be an open platform like mac

This is a complete nonsense statement. “By the time I have to sideload sideliading will just be sideloading.”

I don’t want my PS5 to have multiple app stores and I don’t want my phone either. These are different types of devices.

 

[Spaceboi Scaphandre]

I don't think "allowing other app stores" equals "giving those 3rd party apps system access". You will simply be able to download an APP in its own sandbox from different platforms but it does not mean you will be allowed to tweak system related things. Android does not even allow that if I am not mistaken unless you root your device

Yes it doesn't but Android still lets you modify a lot of things on your phone, like icons, home screen functions, and camera functions without rooting, which Cydia also has, as well as apps Apple doesn't allow on the App Store, like retro game emulators.

There's still so much you can do with app sandboxes, which is why sideloading on iOS is nothing but a good thing since we can now have app types available on Android but not available on iOS because Apple for whatever reason refuses to allow them on the App Store.