We’ve been hearing about the arrival of alternative app stores on the iPhone for several years now, and it could finally materialize as early as the next version of iOS.
At WWDC 2023, Apple was careful not to mention one of the most anticipated iPhone features for several years: the possibility of sideloading applications, i.e. to download applications or APKs outside the App Store. Still, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple is doing a good job of opening up its OS to alternative app stores.
John Gruber therefore took advantage of an interview with Craig Federighi, senior vice president of software engineering, during his program The Talk Show, to ask him the question directly. Apple’s framework justified the feature’s absence from the iOS 17 beta saying ” We want to make sure everything we do is good for our customers and for their safety.”
iPhones will allow you to download third-party apps
It’s been several months now since the ability to use apps from third-party sources on Android and iOS was mandated by the European Union, and Apple is actively working with the EU to bring itself into compliance with the new law, according to the statements by Craig Federighi.
Craig didn’t explicitly say that iOS 17 would come with sideloading, but he strongly suggests thatApple will eventually offer this option, as required by the European Union. It could therefore be that Apple keeps this option up its sleeve for the moment, and makes it available discreetly when the final version of iOS 17 is released.
As you can imagine, it is not in Apple’s interest to deploy such a feature on its iPhones, which is why Apple probably won’t advertise it. However, we’ll obviously keep you posted if the feature ends up rolling out.
App Store exclusivity allows Apple to control every app in its store, thereby ensuring user safety. According to Apple, installing apps outside the App Store is a danger and an entry point for hackers and malware, even if malicious software regularly bypasses the security measures put in place by Apple.
