Apple is forced to allow installation of 3rd party Apps (outside of their official store) in the EU

[sweetchaos]

Apple May Release iOS 17.4 with App Sideloading to Comply with EU DMA​

Ahead of the deadline set by the European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), Apple is readying the first beta of iOS 17.4 to comply with the new App Store regulations, MacRumors is reporting.

Once the DMA goes into effect on March 6, Apple will need to allow iPhone users in EU countries to install apps outside the App Store.

Apple is expected to add support for both third-party app stores and app sideloading on the iPhone for users in EU countries.

Despite Apple’s historical resistance to app sideloading due to cited privacy and security concerns, iOS 17.4 is expected to introduce support for third-party app stores.

UPDATE 1:
Apple has made it official with a blog post and developer documentation:

Apple is forced to allow installation of 3rd party Apps (outside of their official store) in the EU

People go to Android, because Apple's approach of locking down apps is their own enemy. Like I said before, this move will bring back a lot of Apple former users who switched to Android previously, because their Apple experience was limited. I think you’re making up an alternate reality that...

www.audiosciencereview.com

UPDATE 2:
This only applies to EU.
Which means you can't just use a VPN to allow your iphone to sideload apps, if you're in a non-EU country.
Read this to understand:

Apple is forced to allow installation of 3rd party Apps (outside of their official store) in the EU

People go to Android, because Apple's approach of locking down apps is their own enemy. Like I said before, this move will bring back a lot of Apple former users who switched to Android previously, because their Apple experience was limited. I think you’re making up an alternate reality that...

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[sweetchaos]

They should do everyone a favour and allow sideloading worldwide.

It's not as scary as you think. You don't ever need to use it if you want Apple to protect you but it's nice to have the choice.

Do people only download apps on their Macs through the app store there? lol. If my PC didn't allow "side loading" (which is basically normal installing) then I'd not use it because it'd heavily restrict my use of it.

iOS is the most locked down OS out there and it's only that way to protect Apple's ability to make money. Every other advanced modern OS allows side loading (including MacOS).

 

[sweetchaos]

Im wondering if I can install a VPN, connect to some EU country, install some side-loaded iOS app, and then disconnect the VPN, and continue to use it.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[amirm]

What do you think of this?

It is a great development to stop the stronghold apple has on its customers. And works toward the open world we have on computers.

 

[amirm]

Im wondering if I can install a VPN, connect to some EU country, install some side-loaded iOS app, and then disconnect the VPN, and continue to use it.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I would think it knows which carrier it is connecting to and with it, have region control they want.

 

[Newman]

It will only permit a maximum 3% price differential between App Store and creator's own website.

Apple won't have much trouble selling the benefits of using the App Store for only 3% or less.

 

[Keith_W]

iOS is the most locked down OS out there and it's only that way to protect Apple's ability to make money. Every other advanced modern OS allows side loading (including MacOS).

Exactly!! I have had this discussion with some Apple users and they vehemently defend Apple's walled garden. It strikes me as odd that they want to limit their own choice this way. Surely if they were concerned about security ... then don't jailbreak, and don't sideload?

 

[mhardy6647]

Apple's core* market is very well indoctrinated.
____________________
*see what I did there?

 

[pablolie]

I don't use Apple, but I totally get why other people would. I buy my mother Apple phones, for the simple reason she can't eff them up too much. The UI is more consistent across apps, which helps people like my mom - and that's the safety of a "walled garden" approach.
Personally, I much prefer stuff I can control and configure and hack in any way I like, and if I mess it up, it's on me.
My major objection to Apple is iTunes, a horrible and nasty piece of software that in my opinion violates all of the values Apple claims for itself. On the other hand, their support is awesome -my Mom has an Apple store around the corner, luckily-, the longevity of the products is quite good - my younger sister and her kids are Apple people too, and I regularly buy barely used iPhones and iPads (it seems many hardcore Apple customers do suffer from upgradeitis to the latest, so it's easy to find nearly unused stuff from one or two gens ago) and send it their way.

 

[DWPress]

You can download and run apps outside of Apple's "App Store" for their desktop products. For them to work well they still need a signed security certificate but there are workarounds for that (except sometimes things like VSTs which live in the system folder ).

The App Store for iOS is more thoroughly walled though when Apple first released the silicon version of desktop/laptops you could sneak in apps via widgets. They quickly shut that down lol. If you're going to create for iOS I'm not sure of a lot of benefits for simple apps as Apple makes it easy for developers. We might get to see some real EQ/DSP apps for iOS finally but that's only if Apple allows exposure to those systems and I doubt they'd do that for outsiders.

 

[mhardy6647]

I don't use Apple, but I totally get why other people would. I buy my mother Apple phones, for the simple reason she can't eff them up too much. The UI is more consistent across apps, which helps people like my mom - and that's the safety of a "walled garden" approach.
Personally, I much prefer stuff I can control and configure and hack in any way I like, and if I mess it up, it's on me.
My major objection to Apple is iTunes, a horrible and nasty piece of software that in my opinion violates all of the values Apple claims for itself. On the other hand, their support is awesome -my Mom has an Apple store around the corner, luckily-, the longevity of the products is quite good - my younger sister and her kids are Apple people too, and I regularly buy barely used iPhones and iPads (it seems many hardcore Apple customers do suffer from upgradeitis to the latest, so it's easy to find nearly unused stuff from one or two gens ago) and send it their way.

Whenever my wife is yelling at her WinTel computer (or her Android phone), I tell her that she'd probably be happier, and better off, with Apple products. She actually gets even testier when I suggest that -- she really doesn't like the Apple way of doing things -- but I really do think she'd be happier on any given day living in Apple's ecosystem.

 

[DLS79]

It is a great development to stop the stronghold apple has on its customers. And works toward the open world we have on computers.

As far as I can tell, far to many of them like it that way!

 

[Rednaxela]

Apple user here. Can’t think of anything I’d wanna sideload. But we’ll see.

 

[HarmonicTHD]

Im wondering if I can install a VPN, connect to some EU country, install some side-loaded iOS app, and then disconnect the VPN, and continue to use it.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

That works to some extent. It is connected to your AppleID and you can select the Country where you want to be registered.

H O W E V E R you eg loose all the purchases incl songs which you did when registered in the country prior to your switch. I think that is also due to copyright laws.

Therefore I still keep the country where I initially registered my Apple ID although I could change as I am residing in a different country now.

 

[sweetchaos]

Apple user here. Can’t think of anything I’d wanna sideload. But we’ll see.

How about any wifi analytics tool that's freely available for Android OS?

Apple has blocked most wifi tools.

 

[sweetchaos]

How about advanced DNS filtering that AdGuard for iOS is unable to do?

AdGuard for Android OS can. Full changelog here.

Features that Android supports that iOS doesnt:
- Support for dual HTTPs certificates. UPDATE 1: For a more advanced level of visibility currently not possible with iOS. For example, in Android OS: While the certificate in the system store will be responsible for filtering in most apps, the certificate in the user store will allow AdGuard to filter HTTPS traffic in Chromium-based browsers.
- DNS filtering for IPv6 requests
- Firewall, meaning you can block entire traffic with a single click, for any application you want.

Spoiler

-etc

Basically, AdGuard for iOS is currently a limited version.
With a side-loaded AdGuard for iOS version, you won't have these limitations.
Then, the side-loaded AdGuard for iOS will become on par with AdGuard for Android OS.

That's my #1 app that I'm waiting looking forward to.

Wifi tools would be nice as well.

UPDATE 2:
I forgot to mention one of the most important limitations of iOS vs Android OS.
- HTML filtering (which is not possible on iOS currently due to locked down use of API).
- AdGuard for iOS does basic and cosmetic filtering only.
- HTML filtering is currently available for Android OS, which mimics the capability of how uBlock Origin does filtering for desktop OS.
- While basic and cosmetic filtering still blocks ads on iOS, HTML filtering blocks scripts before they get loaded by the browser. This is a technically superior filtering method.
- In other words, iOS blocks ads with a limited tool set vs Android OS, which is equivalent to a Desktop OS, in terms of functionality.

 

[Rednaxela]

Sideloading sounds like asking for trouble.

 

[Rednaxela]

But we’ll see. Maybe I’ll thank the EU one day for this.

 

[sweetchaos]

How will Apple check that you're not in EU? That's the main question.

IP based?
Change your IP with VPN.

Cellular based?
Will every app check your cellular information when it opens? I don't know.

Regular web traffic?
I can see a few approaches:
1. Just analyze all DNS queries for a particular app while you're connect to some country in EU (or simply get this info from someone online), then implement a host-based DNS blocker, using AdGuard for iOS as an example. You can manually block all traffic yourself.
2. Go to iOS settings, click on the app you want to block.
Disable 'background app refresh', which is just background data being sent back and forth.
Disable 'cellular data', which forces the device to only use wifi.

Anyway, I have a hard time believing Apple will actually block non-EU users from side-loading apps.

 

[pablolie]

How will Apple check that you're not in EU? That's the main question.

IP based?
Change your IP with VPN.

Cellular based?
Will every app check your cellular information when it opens? I don't know.

Regular web traffic?
I can see a few approaches:
1. Just analyze all DNS queries for a particular app while you're connect to some country in EU (or simply get this info from someone online), then implement a host-based DNS blocker, using AdGuard for iOS as an example. You can manually block all traffic yourself.
2. Go to iOS settings, click on the app you want to block.
Disable 'background app refresh', which is just background data being sent back and forth.
Disable 'cellular data', which forces the device to only use wifi.

Anyway, I have a hard time believing Apple will actually block non-EU users from side-loading apps.

The bigger question is why Apple users would think they benefit from this. I am not one, but the Apple users I know probably could not care less about this new openess.