These Are the Countries Where You Can Install Apps Outside of the iOS App Store

[stocklen]

Determinist nonsense. There are other reasons to choose one platform over the other. It is choosing between two imperfect platforms.

Apple is not an evil monopoly, Apple holds too much market power. Some commenters have tasted a little too much of Tim's back-end.

some? thanks.

And no - not at all. I come from 40 years IT background and have first hand experience of the mess that can occur.

I, personally, APPRECIATE the walled garden approach of Apple and thats my informed decision to purchase their products. The benefits for me outweigh any perceived downsides.

Never ceases to amaze me how people bleat about it when they can just get Android and be done with it.

Were you mis-sold your device? Did you not understand how your device worked? Did you not understand what the App Store was? Did you not realise that Android phones exist and you had totally free will to choose one of those?

 

[RemedyRabbit]

Find myself wondering if there are people who buy macs and refuse to install anything unless it's through the app store. Seems that might well be the case from some comments here.

 

[stocklen]

People who want more choices on the $1,000+ phone they paid for.


Good thing you still have the option to use the App Store.

they knew what they were buying when they parted with their $1,000 didnt they??? Were they forced to buy that $1,000 phone? Were there NO alternatives? Did they do their homework before parting with that money?

What a silly argument. "I bought a $1,000 phone but WAAAAAAHHHHHH I want it to do more"

Buy. An. Android.

 

[vipergts2207]

some? thanks.

And no - not at all. I come from 40 years IT background and have first hand experience of the mess that can occur.

I, personally, APPRECIATE the walled garden approach of Apple and thats my informed decision to purchase their products. The benefits for me outweigh any perceived downsides.

Never ceases to amaze me how people bleat about it when they can just get Android and be done with it.

Were you mis-sold your device? Did you not understand how your device worked? Did you not understand what the App Store was? Did you not realise that Android phones exist and you had totally free will to choose one of those?

Did you miss where they said iOS and Android are both imperfect platforms. If you go Android, it has its own issues. At least in the EU, some of the issues with iOS have been improved. Unless you subscribe the the security boogeyman, of course.

 

[PommeFruits]

What a silly argument. "I bought a $1,000 phone but WAAAAAAHHHHHH I want it to do more"

Buy. An. Android.

What a silly argument when you can now sideload on an iPhone.

"WAAAAAAHHHHHH other people want things that I don't want!"

 

[Xano]

Finally, my phone, my apps!

 

[Mostly Adequate]

RE Brexit chat, this will 100% happen in the UK too before long as otherwise UK users and developers will be disadvantaged against their EU counterparts. It'll be yet another great example of the Brexit fallacy, whereby we'll always follow the EU in most things as they're by far our biggest market and always will be. Except now we've left we have zero influence over EU policy, and so we're essentially rule takers with none of the benefits. Genius.

Most sensible post here.

We’re still in the orbit of the EU, always will be, now we’re locked out of the decision making process and without representation in the governmental bodies of the union. What a truly reckless self-kneecapping Brexit has been, and always was going to be.

 

[Pakaku]

Thanks Brexit!!

Who asked for this rubbish.... Id rather keep my phone secure thanks.

I doubt you're a child anymore, you can be responsible for your own phone and choose to stick to the App Store if that's what you want

 

[AnsweringHans]

I, personally, APPRECIATE the walled garden approach of Apple and thats my informed decision to purchase their products. The benefits for me outweigh any perceived downsides.

Nobody tells you to come out of Cook's cellar, you can hide for the light of the sun in Apple App Store.

Never ceases to amaze me how people bleat about it when they can just get Android and be done with it.

Again, you assume people make a decision on a phone based solely on the app store. Some people wanted interactive widgets, others the ability to use a DNS. If everyone just choose android iOS solely on either basis there wouldn't be many iOS users left (except for the apostles here at MR).

I am among a group of people that want an alternative browser engine and as well would love a f-droid alternative with only FOSS-apps. Yes the latter two might be available on Android, but I trust Apple slightly more with my data, and had too many concessions with Lineage.

Now things are looking to go in a desirable direction for many, while those who like the 'safety' of the App Store can just stay in the blinded room.

 

[cupcakes2000]

So I am curious to see what happens if you use two Apple ID’s for the store. What will determine the access to the alternative app stores. I have a Dutch(NL) one and a Turkish one. Now I can just login using one or the other and see the and download the specific apps with the corresponding prices (Turkish quite often much cheaper).

Me too. I have a UK account which is my main one, but I live in France so I have a French one for stuff only available in the French AppStore.

It’s a ballache to swap between them, and I have everything aside a few apps tied to my UK account. But I live in the EU. So 🤷

Edit: I’m hoping it’s just a simple case of updating to 17.4 logged in with my French Apple ID, and then just switching back to my UK one when it’s done.

 

[J.A.K.]

As much as I understand and sympathise with the issues around a gated app system, I'm also not particularly excited about opening up my phone to all the ******** around a bunch of other systems adding to the complexity of managing a phone and the inevitable security issues of companies cutting every corner in the name of profit.

I was locked out of my Blizzard games, for instance, due to their inane security hoops that don't even secure their gated app system from account hijackers but most definitely make everything a headache for genuine users. And then they switched apps and suddenly I was in an infinite loop of, "You have to authorise this new authorisation app with the previous authoriser that we just deauthorised!"

For ****'s sake.

And Steam. ****ing hell. Worst gated system ever. It just plain refused to work on multiple Macs for several years for me, all due to, apparently, the switch to Intel, and then the switch to Apple Silicon. What a head **** of uselessness that's been.

 

[deckard666]

Blinded room ? Safe room more like for my mum thanks very much.

As ever YMMV and for SOME people this will def be a bonus....

 

[LeeW]

everyone outside the EU should be demanding it too

Give it time, despite all the crying from some on here around this, in a year or two people in other countries will be complaining they are missing out.

 

[hans1972]

Yes, but still not a law in Norway.

Hopefully Apple will delay until it has become a law.

 

[GUNSTAR1]

There’s such a disconnected argument here for the walled garden approach. No one is forcing you outside the App Store. You can keep your phone the way you want and stay within the ‘garden’. Others simply want to be able to do more with their device.

Personally I’d love more competition in various stores and the option to step outside the garden. If they offer an app the App-Store won’t approve - sweet, I still have that option on my side.

 

[hans1972]

The amount of pearl clutching around this is kinda hilarious, some people have bought into Apple's PR line really hard. All this does is move iOS towards (and not even all the way) being as open as macOS, Windows, Linux etc.

But we don't want an open system like Windows and macOS for our very mobile devices.

We want something even better which iOS was in many regards such as just ONE App Store and just ONE place to find applications and just ONE company to deal with for payment, etc.

Installing software on the Mac is a nightmare compared to iOS.

 

[AnsweringHans]

Yes, but still not a law in Norway.

Hopefully Apple will delay until it has become a law.

Yes, was a bit disappointed that they still haven't put it into law yet, but they seem to stand rather positive towards it if I read the messaging from Regjeringen and EEA EFTA.

I hope I can use my EU Apple ID in the mean time.

 

[NagasakiGG]

Guys, just go To settings and change region to one of the countries. It’s not that hard

 

[hans1972]

It won't affect you if you don't want it to. You'll be able to continue using the Apple app store exactly the same as today if that's what you want to do. It's going to be ok, I promise.

Of course the changes are going to affect me.

Just give you a hint: Safari on the Mac.

Try to think about that one for a moment.

 

[AnsweringHans]

But we don't want an open system like Windows and macOS for our very mobile devices.

You don't

We want something even better which iOS was in many regards such as just ONE App Store and just ONE place to find applications and just ONE company to deal with for payment, etc.

still possible

 

[hans1972]

It won't affect you if you don't want it to. You'll be able to continue using the Apple app store exactly the same as today if that's what you want to do. It's going to be ok, I promise.

You won't be able to use JUST the App Store if some of those alternative application stores have an application you want.

Today, the developers would most likely be forced to use the App Store. Now developers have choices, which is a bad thing.

 

[AnsweringHans]

Of course the changes are going to affect me.

Just give you a hint: Safari on the Mac.

Try to think about that one for a moment.

Yes you'll finally be able to drop it for Firefox!

 

[AnsweringHans]

You won't be able to use JUST the App Store if some of those alternative application stores have an application you want.

Today, the developers would most likely be forced to use the App Store. Now developers have choices, which is a bad thing.

Still better than not having that application you want in any store.

 

[RemedyRabbit]

Give it time, despite all the crying from some on here around this, in a year or two people in other countries will be complaining they are missing out.

100%, it's inevitable now. Once US consumers and politicians cotton on that they have less freedom on thier US produced devices than folks in Europe there'll be huge pressure for equivalency. Only a matter of time.

 

[dotnet]

Thanks Brexit!!

Who asked for this rubbish.... Id rather keep my phone secure thanks.

I think you could either way. It’s got to be something to be enabled, and some app store app to be installed.

That said, the Internet is soon going to explode with Facebook posts and Youtube videos telling people that they absolutely have to have side-loading and how to enable it. This will ensnare many non-tech people who don’t understand the ramifications.