Setapp Planning to Launch Alternative App Store for iOS in Europe

[Schmitti81]

Every third party store offering would basically need to replicate what Apple does.

• They take a commission like Apple
• They need to host the stuff on servers<
• They need to have a criteria list just like Apple with what is acceptable
• They have to verify apps, reject malware
• Developers need to fill paper work to sign up including stuff for taxes
• They have to prevent someone to take an app from the Apple App Store from one developer and upload it as their own to the new App Store.
• Developers would still need to sign up with Apple to get their developer certificates

A lot of work to just have the profits go to a third party shop company instead of Apple.
Not necessarily cheaper or better for developers.

 

[Black0ut21]

Since Apple is only a hardware company…and is very concerned about our privacy… I believe the best is just to make the App Store free, so they have what they want!

Or charge 100$ a year listing fee and for any app over a lager amount of revenue 1000 listing fee

 

[one more]

Apple needs to pull out of Europe.

SetApp is malware.

And lose access to a 450 million market filled with customers that can actually afford Apple products and services?

 

[Biro]

Then don’t install apps outside the App Store, nobody will force you

Don’t count on that. I suspect the amount of malware that targets iOS devices will grow exponentially over the next few years - simply because it will now be easier for the bad guys. Stuff like that usually finds a way to get around and into devices that don’t side load - even if only because of the law of averages.

 

[Spaceboi Scaphandre]

Wrong. There's much more opportunities for fraud on mobile devices.

And that reason for more opportunities is because of general ignorance and lack of common sense from mobile users. But computer illiteracy has never been a valid excuse to lock down app distribution to just one app store, especially when Android has sideloading and 90% of their users stick to just the Google Play Store, never once turning the sideloading toggle on.

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.

Again: Computer illiteracy has never been a valid excuse. This stuff has been happening since the early 2000s when we used to get emails from Nigerian Princes. Idiots on computers will always exist, that is unavoidable. But the idiocy of some is not an excuse to punish all.

 

[toobravetosave]

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.

Ok well i do and so does the EU and it will be decades if not longer before you are literally unable to get ordinary apps on the apple App Store

Edit: assuming apple doesnt make their app store better due to competition of course

 

[cocky jeremy]

I can't wait for the first big explosive malware app to come from this. It's going to be great entertainment.

 

[Liquid Galaxy]

Malware waiting to happen - if not with SetApp then with something else. This is a step towards the grotty land of Android and I'll thankfully stay away from that mess thanks.

 

[mrat93]

I don't think "allowing other app stores" equals "giving those 3rd party apps system access".

There is an embarrassing fraction of users on here who don’t know the difference. It’s all the same to them.

 

[ACHD]

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

Then don;t do it... thats it. don't.

nothing is forcing you to enable side loading.

did you know your phone already supports sideloading with a simple to download profile?

yea thats right sideloading ALREADY exists and with a profile it can even be done remotely..........

 

[toobravetosave]

Cant wait for everyone to freak out over the first third party malware as if the actual apple app store hasnt been plagued with actual malware for years

 

[farleysmaster]

The DMA is EU legislation and is obviously not applicable to the UK. However it would be up to Apple to work out a technical solution to ensure that the UK are excluded, probably based on whatever appstore is set as the default country against an Apple ID.

There is no reason they’d have to exclude the UK. The UK doesn’t have a law against sideloading. Apple could include the UK if they felt it was more convenient to them. Similar logic around including usb-c, which I’m guessing they will do everywhere.

 

[farleysmaster]

Wow, there’s a lot of silliness on here.

Do people know that Steam and itch.io coexist?

 

[cmcbhi]

And, as a special deal, SetApp will load seven types of spyware at no additional cost.
No thanks.
Let the EUGo folks have at it.

 

[sw1tcher]

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.

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!

I agree. Just look at all scam/fake apps and the fraud being perpetrated on the Google Play Store.

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Oh, wait. This is Apple's App Store. 🤣

 

[Future Dwight]

And that reason for more opportunities is because of general ignorance and lack of common sense from mobile users. But computer illiteracy has never been a valid excuse to lock down app distribution to just one app store, especially when Android has sideloading and 90% of their users stick to just the Google Play Store, never once turning the sideloading toggle on.



Again: Computer illiteracy has never been a valid excuse. This stuff has been happening since the early 2000s when we used to get emails from Nigerian Princes. Idiots on computers will always exist, that is unavoidable. But the idiocy of some is not an excuse to punish all.

I'm not saying sideloading should not happen because of the chance of fraud increase. Just saying that more fraud will happen because of sideloading. It'll be a new playground for frauds.

 

[contacos]

Malware waiting to happen - if not with SetApp then with something else. This is a step towards the grotty land of Android and I'll thankfully stay away from that mess thanks.

What makes you think that those Apps will get more System rights than the Apps from the App Store? They can still be sandboxed and not able to get access to the system etc. this is simply about getting an IPA from a different source, just like you can already "side load" apps by signing them to your developer account with Xcode

 

[erikkfi]

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

You'll still have the option to not do so.

 

[Born2Run]

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

I hope we aren’t because I don’t want side loading or 3rd party app stores on my iPhone!

 

[Unggoy Murderer]

Edit: for context, this post was a reply to a comment which suggested the EU was pro-consumer, the appears to have been removed by a moderator.

Has there been a requirement for Bosch to open up car CAN bus protocols to end users? Nope.
Have they told BMW to make their engines compatible with Audi platforms? Nope.
Has Siemans been told to open up their traffic management platforms to third parties? Nope.
Did the EU come after Volkswagen after the diesel emissions scandal? Nope. (Some evidence suggests officials knew about it).

 

[Spaceboi Scaphandre]

I'm not saying sideloading should not happen because of the chance of fraud increase. Just saying that more fraud will happen because of sideloading. It'll be a new playground for frauds.

Fraud already happens a lot on iOS without sideloading. It honestly cannot get much worse unless the App Store no longer became the main place to get apps, which ain't happening because we've been on the App Store for so long that developers aren't gonna leave overnight or else they'll lose their established userbase

 

[SexExpert]

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?

Any software that is sideloaded on the iPhone will still be running under iOS and its capabilities limited to what iOS frameworks and APIs allow, so outside of security vulnerabilities in iOS itself, sideloaded apps aren't a problem from a software security point of view. An app that wants to access your photos or address book will still have to ask permission, for example.

They are a policy vulnerability though, as Setapp can have different terms and conditions for things that can't be enforced with software. For example, Facebook not tracking users across multiple apps. Apple disallow it, but it can't be enforced in software, so it has to be enforced by contract/good faith. Setapp might ignore stuff like that into order to encourage more software makers to put their software on the Setapp store.

 

[contacos]

I hope we aren’t because I don’t want side loading or 3rd party app stores on my iPhone!

Don't enable / download it then?

 

[britboyj]

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

A lot of apps in Cydia wouldn't be protected through the DMA because they're cracked. The legit tweaks and stuff would though.

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

Then you don't have to. You can keep your phone in the walled garden if you so choose.

I hope we aren’t because I don’t want side loading or 3rd party app stores on my iPhone!

Then you don't have to sideload anything.

Has there been a requirement for Bosch to open up car CAN bus protocols to end users? Nope.
Have they told BMW to make their engines compatible with Audi platforms? Nope.
Has Siemans been told to open up their traffic management platforms to third parties? Nope.
Did the EU come after Volkswagen after the diesel emissions scandal? Nope. (Some evidence suggests officials knew about it).

100% here. The EU's enforcement of their laws (especially GDPR) is entirely aimed at foreign companies, even when there are European companies doing the same thing. They go after Google and Facebook, for their ad practices, but companies like Bidstack, Anzu and a joint ad network by their own telecom providers are all okey dokey, despite doing the exact same lip-service compliance only.

 

[Small White Car]

Are you afraid developers are gonna leave the App Store? They ain't lmao.

You are simultaneously telling me it will be like the Mac while also saying it will not suffer the Mac’s biggest headache.

Something doesn’t add up here.