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iOS 17 will reportedly set the stage for sideloading apps on iPhone

techcrunch.com

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Re: iOS 17 will reportedly set the stage for sideloading apps on iPhone

#461

Post by rafark »

ralphc wrote: post #446

I look forward to this, not for potentially sketchy third party apps but for my own apps. My phone is the computer, camera, etc. that I always carry with me and I'd like to be able to write my own apps, both for experimenting and for my utility. Just sideload them, no developer program, no yearly license fees, write in languages of my choice, have a VM on my phone if I want. If nothing else, imagine your own AI assis…

Pretty sure the you won’t have full access to the system. You’ll still need to jailbreak for that.

Re: iOS 17 will reportedly set the stage for sideloading apps on iPhone

#462

Post by squeaky-clean »

nightski wrote: post #113
Retric wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

My mom got tricked into installing an "emoji pack" that would make her phone give her constant notifications for a gambling website. She doesn't know she sideloaded an app, but that's what happened.

Re: iOS 17 will reportedly set the stage for sideloading apps on iPhone

#463

Post by op00to »

onli wrote: post #412
op00to wrote: post #293

Earlier quoted context omitted.

no, I did not say that. My intention of referring to the difficulties is that some rigor is required. The play store is a rubber stamp.

The Play Store reviews promises more than a rubber stamp. It's okay to see it as such, but you said above the Play Store doesn't even pretend; If that were the case there would be no review process. Google will this year address some of the data leaks that are still possible by limiting what apps can do. They introduced the limitations before, now apps will be forced to use the newer API targets that enable them. And…

I’ll admit my opinion is out of date and wrong.

As an iOS user who doesn’t care to give my mobile device any thought at all, Google has a long way to go to overcome the perception that behind a thin shiny veneer, the Play store is like Mos Eisley.

That and seamless shared clip boarding keep me from leaving the ecosystem.

Re: iOS 17 will reportedly set the stage for sideloading apps on iPhone

#464

Post by squeaky-clean »

rootusrootus wrote: post #390
CharlesW wrote: post #204

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Then enable a more limited App Store mode as an opt-in feature. As on macOS (with SIP, etc.) it'll be the opposite: Users will need to opt-in to this new less-secure mode, as they do the ultra-secure Lockdown Mode.

> As on macOS I'm on the latest version of MacOS and I routinely install software outside of the App Store (in fact, nearly 100% of the software I install is outside the app store).

You only have to enable the setting once, but you probably did change the "Allow apps downloaded from" setting at some point in the past.

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202491

Re: iOS 17 will reportedly set the stage for sideloading apps on iPhone

#466

Post by gcanyon »

When the App Store first opened, I wondered if Apple would allow an alternative App Store to launch, to carry apps that Apple was unwilling to. I wonder if that solution, instead of a side-loading free-for-all, would 1. Satisfy Europe 2. Protect users 3. Potentially get Apple everything they want.

1. Because Apple wouldn't have a monopoly on app distribution

2. Because there would still be a limited number of players who would need to commit to app review/security.

3. Because users would likely continue to use Apple's App Store almost exclusively, while allowing certain outliers (subscription-dependent apps) a way out.

Re: iOS 17 will reportedly set the stage for sideloading apps on iPhone

#467

Post by jutrewag »

microflash wrote: post #361

I can't wait for my banking app to ask me to disable sideloading on iOS before I can actually use it. Such idiocy has been rampant on Android with banking apps refusing to launch when Developer Options are enabled. That aside, I am very happy with this development. I have personal apps that I'd like to sideload without paying for a developer account. I am also looking forward to a more lively open-source ecosystem ar…

You can side load your personal apps now.

Re: iOS 17 will reportedly set the stage for sideloading apps on iPhone

#468

Post by Teamancer »

Is there a business opportunity here for an independent, transparent 3rd party, (side-loaded or not app)safety inspection/testing service? Right now customers rely on the word of outfits. mostly Google and Apple who make money on your use, that the software they will "allow" you to install is "safe." Yet a lot of malicious crap gets through and sometimes remains available until enough victims post reviews.

A legitimate, transparent and disinterested 3rd party vetting service would not have a stake in whether or not a customer would download or sideload apps - from anywhere.

Re: iOS 17 will reportedly set the stage for sideloading apps on iPhone

#469

Post by raydev »

smw wrote: post #455
ralphc wrote: post #446

I look forward to this, not for potentially sketchy third party apps but for my own apps. My phone is the computer, camera, etc. that I always carry with me and I'd like to be able to write my own apps, both for experimenting and for my utility. Just sideload them, no developer program, no yearly license fees, write in languages of my choice, have a VM on my phone if I want. If nothing else, imagine your own AI assis…

I think it's been quite easy to run your own apps on your iPhone for years now?

If you have a free developer account then you need to redeploy the app to your phone every 7 days. You can only add up to 3 devices to your free account, and there's no way to remove them without paying (at least that I could see when I let my subscription lapse), so good luck if you replace your phone too many times or try to share an app with a family member or friend.

It's not impossible, and perhaps it's easy if you've already hit all the pitfalls and know where they are, but I would not describe it as easy.

Re: iOS 17 will reportedly set the stage for sideloading apps on iPhone

#470

Post by jutrewag »

seanw444 wrote: post #396

Apple has successfully convinced their base that leaving their walled garden is a danger. I wonder what particular word could be used to define that. Anyways, F-Droid is a clear example of how alternative sources of apps can be just as secure as the official one (and in F-Droid's case, more secure).

The particular word is “comfort”.

The App Store is comfy and they enforce a certain modicum of non-jank.

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