At WWDC 2023, Apple was careful not to mention one of the most anticipated iPhone features for several years: possibility of sideloading apps, i.e. to download apps or APKs outside of the App Store. Still, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple is doing a good job of opening the operating system to alternative app stores.
That’s why John Gruber took advantage of an interview he had with Craig Federighi, senior vice president of software engineering, during The Talk Show, to pose the question directly to himself. Apple’s framework justified the feature’s absence in the iOS 17 beta saying ” We want to make sure that everything we do is good for our customers and their safety.”
iPhones will let you download third-party apps
It’s been a few months since the European Union allowed the use of apps from third-party sources on Android and iOS, and Apple is actively working with the EU to comply with the new law, according to Apple’s statements. Craig Federighi.
Craig didn’t explicitly say that iOS 17 will come with external installation, but he strongly recommends:Apple will eventually offer this option as required by the European Union. As such, Apple retains this option for the time being and may be making it discreetly available when the final version of iOS 17 is released.
As you can imagine, it’s not in Apple’s interest to put such a feature on their iPhone, so Apple probably won’t advertise it. However, we’ll keep you updated if the feature becomes available.
App Store exclusivity allows Apple to control every app in its store, thus ensuring user safety. According to Apple, installing apps outside of the App Store is a danger and entry point for hackers and malware, even if malware regularly bypasses the security measures implemented by Apple.
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