{"id":39151,"date":"2023-04-24T14:36:10","date_gmt":"2023-04-24T18:36:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mjtsai.com\/blog\/?p=39151"},"modified":"2024-06-18T08:27:04","modified_gmt":"2024-06-18T12:27:04","slug":"sideloading-rumored-for-ios-17","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mjtsai.com\/blog\/2023\/04\/24\/sideloading-rumored-for-ios-17\/","title":{"rendered":"Sideloading Rumored for iOS 17"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ivan Mehta<\/a> (MacRumors<\/a>, 9to5Mac<\/a>, Hacker<\/a> News<\/a>):<\/p>\n

After vehemently fighting “sideloading” alternative app stores<\/a> on the iPhone, Apple is now apparently<\/a> looking to allow them with iOS 17, which will come out next year, to comply with European laws. The report from Bloomberg<\/a> also noted that Apple is exploring opening up its camera and NFC (Near Field Communication) stack to developers.<\/p>

[…]<\/p>

Europe’s Digital Market Act (DMA)<\/a> will come into effect next year, and companies will have until 2024 to comply. Under the new rules, Big Tech must allow alternative app stores on their platforms to provide users with more choice, and it’s likely that Apple is now preparing to comply.<\/p>

Apple has already committed to supporting USB-C<\/a> due to the EU’s push to standardize charging ports. Now, with the DMA on the horizon, this could force the Cupertino-based company to allow sideloading too.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n

Linda Rosencrance<\/a>:<\/p>\n

\n

The question is what do app developers think about these new regulations? Will they actually be beneficial to EU based developers and what will be the short and long term impact on the EU’s app market? We spoke with a few to find out.<\/p>\n

[…]<\/p>\n

“Bug fixes can be released faster compared to when they’re released on the App Store,” he said. “Waiting up to 20 days for bug fixes is frustrating, especially when it’s out of my control and I can’t contact Apple about it,” Young said.<\/p>\n

In addition, developers won’t have to pay the 15%-30% Apple tax any longer.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

This last part is far from certain<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n

Macro Arment<\/a>:<\/p>\n

\n

Apple will just use another method to collect their “commission<\/a>”.<\/p>\n

[…]<\/p>\n

Remember: Tim Cook views our customers as THEIR customers, our sales as THEIR sales, and the 30% as what they rightfully deserve for gracing us with a platform that we provide no other value to.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n

Steve Troughton-Smith<\/a>:<\/p>\n

\n

Alarm bells should be sounding at Apple over the kinds of developers who are fed-up-enough of the App Store to want to be on alternatives; Apple is at risk of the iOS App Store turning into the same kind of marketplace as the Mac App Store, bereft of many of the platform's top apps. As much as they might want to blame the EU or ‘lawmakers’, it was an entirely preventable series of toxic business decisions (and, lately, bridge burning) that lead to it.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n

Riley Testut<\/a>:<\/p>\n

\n

How will Apple restrict sideloading? [poll]<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n

Michael Love<\/a>:<\/p>\n

The bad news is that it’s seemingly only in the EU, the good news is that we’ll now have actual real-world proof that all of their FUD about sideloading is meaningless.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n

Or perhaps Apple will find business and technical ways to make it so unattractive that it won’t get enough traction to prove anything.<\/p>\n\n

Previously:<\/p>\n