Having "side loading" -- also known as regular app installation on non-phone platforms -- hasn't caused chaos on desktop platforms or android. No reason to think it will on iOS either.
It caused more malware to spread for sure.
iOS 17 will reportedly set the stage for sideloading apps on iPhone
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Re: iOS 17 will reportedly set the stage for sideloading apps on iPhone
#112is this epic related?
No, this is as a consequence of the EU Digital Markets Act.
Re: iOS 17 will reportedly set the stage for sideloading apps on iPhone
#113> Historically, Apple execs including Tim Cook and Craig Federighi have staunchly opposed sideloading citing privacy and security reasons. Which is funny to me, because after flipping through the App Store for an email client, I found, on this heavily curated storefront, a single digit number of apps I would trust with my email credentials. Android, with it's option to "sideload" F-Droid, gives me dramatically more o…
Apps you trust is a really poor security mechanism for the general public. The Apple App Store is a dumpster fire, but there is a perfectly reasonable argument for locking down a device you’re handing to family members who aren’t security conscious.
I don't personally know a single person outside of developers that have side loaded apps on Android. Maybe I am an anomaly, but it just seems very rare.
Re: iOS 17 will reportedly set the stage for sideloading apps on iPhone
#114Re: iOS 17 will reportedly set the stage for sideloading apps on iPhone
#115Re: iOS 17 will reportedly set the stage for sideloading apps on iPhone
#116Earlier quoted context omitted.
I agree, and the idea of a sideload-able iOS makes me very uneasy. I like the idea of Apple aligning itself with the user to protect me and, more importantly, my tech-unsavvy friends and family, from scams, data-hoarding apps, and just generally crappy software. I don't mind that they take a portion of revenue in return for providing that platform (30% feels too much, but you can't argue that it should be zero). Unfo…
> Sideloading is full of risks, and I don't love it. But it's at least a little bit of competition to push Apple towards make the App Store useful again. As someone who develops for the platform, I tend to agree, I'll probably never distribute apps with sideloading, but I think ultimately it's a good thing. I'd also be happy if it attracts more interest and developers to the platform who were previously turned off by…
Are you worried about piracy or that your app may not be available to all platform users anymore? I bet that immediately after this feature comes countries, mobile providers, etc. will roll out their own app stores and many users will not go with Apple's. Those stores will probably incentivize big apps like Facebook get on them but not regular solo developers. You may have to distribute your app through a dozen of app stores and comply with all their differing regulations and review processes instead of one, or pass on user share... (Or more likely you'll need to pay up some app store distribution middleman who will capitalize on the situation)
Re: iOS 17 will reportedly set the stage for sideloading apps on iPhone
#117Earlier quoted context omitted.
I agree, and the idea of a sideload-able iOS makes me very uneasy. I like the idea of Apple aligning itself with the user to protect me and, more importantly, my tech-unsavvy friends and family, from scams, data-hoarding apps, and just generally crappy software. I don't mind that they take a portion of revenue in return for providing that platform (30% feels too much, but you can't argue that it should be zero). Unfo…
> Sideloading is full of risks, and I don't love it. But it's at least a little bit of competition to push Apple towards make the App Store useful again. As someone who develops for the platform, I tend to agree, I'll probably never distribute apps with sideloading, but I think ultimately it's a good thing. I'd also be happy if it attracts more interest and developers to the platform who were previously turned off by…
It should at the very least help with Safari. What a dreadful existence that browser is when you can't get extensions into the store without paying the 99/yr fee, which has stopped a lot of potential ports from happening.
Most ports right now are quite gnarly, you have to jump through a multi step build process just to do what other browsers can handle in a single click or drag and drop. Other methods I've seen involve relying on something like tampermonkey to run the scripts on the sites you want. Alternatively, making safari users mad by making your extension cost on the app store.
So I have high hopes! Finally developers should be able to release things for safari without feeling so suffocated.
Re: iOS 17 will reportedly set the stage for sideloading apps on iPhone
#118I'm dreading this. I want privacy hostile companies like Facebook to have to comply with the app store rules and respect system settings relating to privacy. As a user, I'm thrilled when Apple wields its big stick to stop big tech companies from overreaching. Before there was a bit of a compromise, I could use evil apps with some peace of mind that they wouldn't do something egregious. Now I suspect evil apps just wo…
None of this affects you whatsoever. Just don't use a sideloaded apps. I don't see why this would bother you in any way. Personally if Apple finally allows me to install whatever I want on my phones then I may return to their phones. Until then, I will use Android since I can download and install any .apk I want on my device.
> None of this affects you whatsoever. Just don't use a sideloaded apps. I don't see why this would bother you in any way.
That's unfortunately wrong.
Say you use WhatsApp to keep in touch with your friends. Say Facebook pulls WhatsApp from the app store and makes it only available via side-loading. What do you do? You have to decide between trying to move everyone you know off of WhatsApp, or you side-load.
Re: iOS 17 will reportedly set the stage for sideloading apps on iPhone
#119Earlier quoted context omitted.
I understand your concern and share some of them. However the solution to overreaching unaccountable private cooperations cannot be to hand all the power to another private unaccountable company. Apple is venturing into advertising and that'll tempt them to weaken privacy protections sooner or later. Additionally their app store rules went far beyond enforcing security and privacy. They gave themselves an advantage a…
I have a tiny measure of power over Apple. I can decide not to buy their products or their stock. But I have zero power over the EU. And yet they're legislating what my iPhone is going to work like. Talk about unaccountable. The free market did not deliver competing app stores because that is not a problem for the majority of users and is in fact a huge boon for most.
They are doing no such thing. You don't have to use side loaded apps. If a company decides to only distribute from side loading, you can just not use their app. This is effectively what you are forcing on people who would prefer side loading, so it shouldn't be a problem for you.
Re: iOS 17 will reportedly set the stage for sideloading apps on iPhone
#120I'm dreading this. I want privacy hostile companies like Facebook to have to comply with the app store rules and respect system settings relating to privacy. As a user, I'm thrilled when Apple wields its big stick to stop big tech companies from overreaching. Before there was a bit of a compromise, I could use evil apps with some peace of mind that they wouldn't do something egregious. Now I suspect evil apps just wo…
the problem is that apple also heavily censors security unrelated things. e.g. art platforms and emulators, just to name two prominent examples.