Apple may allow iOS 17 to allow external app installation ``sideloading''

iOS 16 and earlier devices do not allow the installation of apps (sideloading) from sources other than Apple's official app store. Although it can be said that it is inconvenient from the viewpoint of narrowing the choices of applications, it is reported that this system, which can be said to be unnecessary for users from the viewpoint of security, may change with iOS 17. was given.

iOS 17 app sideloading might only be available in Europe | TechRadar

According to journalist Mark Garman , who has reported many unpublished information related to Apple so far, iOS 17 will allow sideloading 'quietly'. However, sideloading will not be introduced worldwide, and will only be available in the EU, where companies are strictly regulated under antitrust law. Sideloading is easy to use on Android devices, but until now Apple has not allowed sideloading on iPhones and iPads, citing security and reliability issues.

In 2021, Apple released a report that ``Installing apps from outside the App Store is dangerous for users,'' and detailed the risks of sideloading when users obtain apps from outside the App Store. But the purpose of publishing these reports is a lobbying effort by Apple to clarify the reasons for its refusal to sideload, demanding that it open its doors to alternative app stores and free app installations. was reported to be a type of

Apple announces a report that it is 'for the safety of users' that it is not possible to obtain applications from outside the App Store - GIGAZINE

Apple has been under pressure from regulatory authorities on the basis of antitrust laws in the past, saying, ``In-app payment fees are high, and not allowing payment methods other than Apple's official payment method is monopoly.'' It is also known that it had a long legal battle with Epic Games of 'Fort Knight' for the reason.

Apple's strategy, which can be said to be 'enclosure', has begun to collapse due to these legal regulations, and in December 2022, it was reported that Apple was preparing to allow sideloading to comply with the EU's digital market law. rice field.

Apple is preparing to allow ``app stores other than the App Store'' on the iPhone for the first time-GIGAZINE

According to Garman, even if sideloading is allowed, app developers who want sideloading may have to pay an additional 'fee'.

Apple is expected to announce the latest versions of iOS and macOS at the developer conference `` WWDC23 '' on June 6, 2023, but Garman said, ``The introduction of sideloading is such a big deal. It may not necessarily be announced at a location, but may only be mentioned at the end of a small press release.'

At WWDC, the iPhone 15 series, which is speculated to switch from Lighting to USB-C, including iOS 17, and mixed reality (MR) headsets are also expected.

Report that Apple's MR headset uses a removable battery by connecting it with a cable & adopts a USB-C port for data transfer - GIGAZINE