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I have the reverse argument. If we could have a third party app store, then I'd love to have one that's just good, curated apps. Right now, the official app store really is sort of a wild west. Then we could also get app upgrades, which might mean the end of all these subscriptions.
 
Again this is all good and sunshine and rainbows.....until the Epics and others come alone and purchase exclusivity rights to apps to where they are NOT on the App Store. So we will not have a choice.
So then buy a different game. I see folks tell others "buy an Android," and so it seems that what's good for the goose is good for the gander. If that many people feel the same way you do, then there will be a massive market for other devs to take advantage of where consumers insist on only getting apps from the App Store.
 
They do allow sideloading on the mac. They don't want it on the iPhone or iPad. It's their decision. Hopefully this goes nowhere.
They would absolutely loooove to stop sideloading on macOS too, so that they could sting everyone for the 15/30% Apple Software Tax. But that ship sailed long ago, and the very wonderful nature of macOS prevents undoing it.
 
This is going to force Apple to stop investing heavily into the App Store. They should tell these congressmen the unvarnished truth. If they decrease profitability of their platform they will stop investing in it or start charging all developers for access whether their app is free or not based on the number of Apple API calls per month. Many of the small developers will close and the Epics and Microsofts of the world will be able to charge what they want because they won’t have to compete with the little guys anymore. It’ll be like the old days for them. Just what they want.
Right..... just like they don't invest in dev tools for macOS?! Oh, oops, yes they do. Why? Because you can't sell a computer if there is no software that works on it. Which is the exact same reason sideloading won't stop Apple investing in iOS/iPadOS dev tools.
 
Again this is all good and sunshine and rainbows.....until the Epics and others come alone and purchase exclusivity rights to apps to where they are NOT on the App Store. So we will not have a choice.
Yawnnn, and we still have MS Store, Steam, EPIC Store, GOG and manually downloaded Apps installed, sideloading must be evil. /s
 
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So then buy a different game. I see folks tell others "buy an Android," and so it seems that what's good for the goose is good for the gander. If that many people feel the same was you do, then there will be a massive market for other devs to take advantage of where consumers insist on only getting apps from the App Store.
Because once Epic starts on iOS, it will apply to Android. So there won't be any choice. If I want that game, I WILL need to side load. Choice is gone.
 
To the people saying nobody is forcing you to sideload, just get the app from the App Store for more money they are forgetting the Epic Game Store vs Steam.
Epic pretty much handed out loads of cash to developers to make their games exclusive to the Epic Game Store, do you really believe this wouldn’t happen on iOS? You just know that if Apple were forced to allow 3rd party app stores then Epic or (insert other big player here) will buy up a load of exclusives and pretty much force people into compromising the security of their phones anyway.
Please explain how getting something from Epic is "compromising the security of their phones"?
 
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And so your argument is Apple can do whatever the heck they want, overcharge, set unfair rules, etc., and if you don't like it, you can go elsewhere? I would love to see developers just dump Apple then and put everything on Android only. That's what you're saying?
Apple’s ‘rules’ have been nominally static since the iOS App Store was created. Not sure what spurious unfair or overcharging rules you think they imposed. It seems the biggest issue is that the iOS Store has been a huge success to a large number of software companies and they don’t want to pay for the success that Apple helped them create.

And please don’t try to argue that it was all the developers idea and ”they” wrote the software. Apple created the iOS device, created a store for you to sell your ideas, and provided a simple SDK to create your product. Further, due to that store, the developer was able to work with one company and have access to MILLIONS of consumers rather than trying to deal with handfuls of small retailers. To see how good it is now, talk to older developers that had to market their product by getting it on to discs that were included in MacAddict magazines.
 
Because once Epic starts on iOS, it will apply to Android. So there won't be any choice. If I want that game, I WILL need to side load. Choice is gone.
Like I said, buy a different game then. If you want that specific game, you'll have to get it from the dev however it is they're selling it. And as someone else mentioned, if you don't trust Epic enough to make the transaction, why in the world would you trust them to have software installed on your phone in the first place? It's not as if being on the App Store magically renders software free of malware.
 
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Let me just make it crystal clear on my stance. If it can be 100% guaranteed that every single iOS app will remain on the App Store and all future apps will also be on the App Store, I have no issue with side-loading/installing from other sources. But I don't think anyone can make that guarantee.

If that guarantee is in the bill or someplace, let me know so I can acknowledge it. I will FULLY be on board with you embracing the side-loading. That is my ONLY concern with this is that App Exclusivity deals will mean said apps will NOT be on the App Store. Proof of this happening is Epic vs Steam.

The whole "you can keep the setting off" argument won't hold water if dozens of popular apps leave the App Store.
 
Like I said, buy a different game then. If you want that specific game, you'll have to get it from the dev however it is they're selling it. And as someone else mentioned, if you don't trust Epic enough to make the transaction, why in the world would you trust them to have software installed on your phone in the first place? It's not as if being on the App Store magically renders software free of malware.
Well same argument applies to you. Use a different app that is on the App Store instead of breaking iOS to allow side-loading/installing from other sources.
 
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Let me just make it crystal clear on my stance. If it can be 100% guaranteed that every single iOS app will remain on the App Store and all future apps will also be on the App Store, I have no issue with side-loading/installing from other sources. But I don't think anyone can make that guarantee.

If that guarantee is in the bill or someplace, let me know so I can acknowledge it. That is my ONLY concern with this is that App Exclusivity deals will mean said apps will NOT be on the App Store. Proof of this happening is Epic vs Steam.
I don't know why people think apps will leave the App Store en masse because of the availability of side-loading. It seems to me that the intelligent dev would have their app available from themselves for $X and available on the App Store for $X+15/30%. Then customers can be free to choose whether everything the super special App Store experience offers is worth the premium to them.
 
I can’t wait until I can buy Walmart branded products at Target. I’d also like to get an Impossible Whopper at McDonalds.
You can do whatever you’d like with it after you buy it. Add or take out whatever they may have missed or added. You can eat it and a day or two later take a **** in your toilet or the neighbor’s yard.
 
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In case you missed the point, both parties put in the work and both parties benefitted from it. Some folks on here act as if Apple allowing devs to create software for the iPhone was some benevolent and gracious act on behalf of Apple. No, Apple did it because they knew it would be of benefit to themselves. The success of the App Store or the iPhone would not have been what it was without both Apple and the millions of devs, and some people seem to gloss over the latter.
I agree with you. But no one developer made the iOS store a success. Now a small handful of developers are trying to change the mechanism of the store to a degree that other developers may be hurt by those changes. People seem to believe that the addition of sideloading or off-site purchases will not affect the TOS or the current cost structure. It likely will. And those changes may not be beneficial to the small developer.
 
At this point, as long as I can disable side loading capabilities from an organization stand point (be it a company or a household/family) then fine. But I don’t want to be tech supporting that or managing the potential vulnerabilities. If others are okay with it then have at it I guess.
 
If Apple loses then just make a gatekeeper like on Mac OS. Set it to block third party stores by default and warn the user when they try to disable it.

Apple was against 3rd party keyboards for a while but now If a keyboard wants full access there is a warning.

Yeah kind of like Windows, MAC OS and Android already does? Wow innovation is great isn't it ?
 
The U.S. Congress is a privacy & security risk. Maybe we should reject them? That aside, Apple's arguments are moot considering they allow side loading on the Mac.

Edit: Apple also allows alternate app stores on the Mac.
Apples oranges. macOS is a full operating system that can host any number of tools to protect the user. iOS not so much.
 
What do you mean by “iOS unlocked”?

I am literally begging people to go try out Altstore to see how this works right now.
Imagine that - but easier - and with no silly seven day restriction to re-sign the app

Literally nothing here is going to change other than the source of the actual app.

The security will be the same, parental controls will all be there …all the features will be there …everything is the same… it’s signed to make sure there’s no malware.

It just comes from a different source

Nobody is talking about wanting root level access or different operating systems or anything operating differently than right now other than you can get the same safe applications from other physical sources.
Yes but without the App Store checks a dodgy developer could write an app that was basically a virus and harvest your data and list it elsewhere bypassing Apple’s checks.
I mean this happens on the official Google Play store for crying out loud. Now I’m not saying the App Store is perfect as some dodgy apps inevitably slip through but these are usually caught quickly which is why you don’t see half as many news stories about dodgy iOS apps vs Android.

You also have the apps that are just pure scams which offer a couple of day trial and then slam you with a massive subscription fee, now these are in the App Store but Apple also are good at refunding these too a friend had this happen recently but thankfully wasn’t left out of pocket because Apple refunded him, will other app stores do this I mean if you accidentally did this to the developer direct you’d never get it back.
 
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And I can't buy "Oceanhorn 2" without subscribing to Apple Arcade! next();
I honestly suspect that this will be the path Apple takes if sideloading/alt payments takes off. The iPhone will close that store and the iPhone will have a set of standard free apps and then a general Apple News/Apple Arcade/Apple Music type of subscription model for everything else.
 
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