App Store to Be 'Split in Two' Ahead of EU iPhone Sideloading Deadline

[redheeler]

Only when installed from the Apple App Store, apps installed from Cydia and other jailbroken app stores do not have to run in a sandbox. So unless Apple Approves all side loaded app stores (not sure how that would be possible) then there will be apps that can be installed without being sandboxed.

If the app attempts to access system files or other running processes then it has to make a call to a system process to do that. The system process simply refuses the request of the sandboxed app. Apple doesn't have to allow any sideloaded apps to run outside of the sandbox.

An exploit can be used to break out of the sandbox. It tricks a system process into providing access or executing code where it shouldn't. Jailbreaks rely on exploits to work and modify the system to no longer run apps in the sandbox. As we've seen there are jailbreaks that work even without first running a sideloaded app, although sideloading would theoretically make it easier to use some types of exploits. Breaking out of the sandbox is a very difficult task which many brilliant people have failed at, and there's a nice reward waiting in Apple's bug bounty program for any white hats that are able to, so have at it. When they are discovered, they are quickly patched by Apple.

 

[R3k]

This might cause some issues when traveling in Europe. Sometimes you need a local taxi, metro, food order app. Might not be so easy if you're primarily associated with the US App Store, I can see such apps not even being available outside the European market.

 

[MuppetGate]

A lot of folk here seem to be using the argument that MacOS has had “side loading” for years, so why not iOS?

The big difference is the size of the installed base and the potential rewards in creating malware for the iOS vs the MacOS.

So rather than examining the pitfalls from the point of view of MacOS, you should make comparisons with a mobile OS with an installed base that is much larger.

“Android has had side loading for years; how’s that going?”

 

[KevinN206]

A lot of folk here seem to be using the argument that MacOS has had “side loading” for years, so why not iOS?

The big difference is the size of the installed base and the potential rewards in creating malware for the iOS vs the MacOS.

So rather than examining the pitfalls from the point of view of MacOS, you should make comparisons with a mobile OS with an installed base that is much larger.

“Android has had side loading for years; how’s that going?”

All of my apps are directly from the Play Store despite having the option of using Galaxy Store and Amazon App Store and whatever app stores there. The only app that I have side loaded is AdGuard Pro, which blocks ads globally. It's pretty amazing to never have any ads in any browsers and.

 

[Philip_S]

Apple generates more money for developers than any other platform. But sure, try to paint them as anti-deveolper. Always best to ignore reality when trying to do this.

I’m not the one suggesting that they’re going to make it difficult to sell individual apps outside their App Store, my point was that that would be easy for any semi-competent developer (whereas the person i responded to thought it would be too hard), unless apple decided to be pricks about it.

 

[AppliedMicro]

I am still waiting for the EU to require that any hardware allow anyone’s software. Game consoles, you car, everything.

It annoys me that Apple seems to be the only hardware manufacturer that they care about giving hardware access away.

The Digital Markets Act isn‘t about regulating hardware.
It‘s about software-based platforms - that sometimes withhold useful hardware functionality from users and developers.

So I guess the EU users can look forward to a 30% reduction in app costs when developers don't have to pay Apple 30% anymore. Cough....Cough...

Well, online payments and taxes aren’t free.

 

[SeaFox]

The only app that I have side loaded is AdGuard Pro, which blocks ads globally. It's pretty amazing to never have any ads in any browsers

It's also pretty amazing to be able to have a browser that's not Safari in disguise. I'm on Firefox with uBlock Origin over here. Imagine how people would react if the only browser you could use on Android was Chrome. They would really be up in arms about "monopoly" and Google "abusing their authority" because of their relationship with Android. Yet, when Apple does it, suddenly it's okay...

 

[mrochester]

It's also pretty amazing to be able to have a browser that's not Safari in disguise. I'm on Firefox with uBlock Origin over here. Imagine how people would react if the only browser you could use on Android was Chrome. They would really be up in arms about "monopoly" and Google "abusing their authority" because of their relationship with Android. Yet, when Apple does it, suddenly it's okay...

Apple makes a vertically integrated product, which is why it is ok. That behaviour is not ok when you make a horizontally integrated product.

 

[Philip_S]

Far better than on android where piracy runs rampant.

Piracy may harm the app vendors, but it is neutral to beneficial for l consumers.

 

[truthsteve]

Piracy may harm the app vendors, but it is neutral to beneficial for l consumers.

no. see: video game DRM on PC

 

[VampyricGentleman]

All this fuss about side loading, if you don’t like the idea, don’t worry the majority of apps will still be available through the Apple Store I am sure. No one right now is forcing you to install any side loaded apps

 

[AppliedMicro]

I’ll go back to windows phones before I ever have anything remotely close to android, if this is the way iOS is going.

No, you won‘t.
You will want to run contemporary apps on your mobile phone.
Be that an email application, a maps/wayfinding application, music streaming app, banking app.
Or just iMessage, Facetime, WhatsApp, Instagram or Facebook Messenger.

 

[SanderEvers]

All this fuss about side loading, if you don’t like the idea, don’t worry the majority of apps will still be available through the Apple Store I am sure. No one right now is forcing you to install any side loaded apps

That is a very big assumption. There is 0 reason to think that no developer will take their Apps down from the Apple App Store. Because this ALREADY happened on a different platform: PC. Some games have been removed from Steam (& GOG, Origin, Microsoft Store) and then exclusively added to the Epic Games Store.

And it's exactly THAT company that started this.

 

[FlyingDutch]

Please Apple for EU:
separate app store, no update, no support, limited warranty!
Any sideload - warranty voided!

Quite on the contrary warranty in EU is better than your US ridiculous 12 months

 

[FlyingDutch]

Sad day for EU consumers that want a one stop shop and bought into the ecosystem with open eyes.

Thankfully they didn't ruin it for the rest of us... yet.

You can still choose to only use App Store for purchases , as I’ll probably do. But it is nice to have choices, anyway.

 

[bollman]

I think you misunderstand what the EU is, or rather, isn't. For a start, it isn't a government. And people don't vote for the EU like they do their government.

Fake news. We certainly have EU elections and it's just the same as government:

European elections: all you need to know

Find out what the European elections are, how to vote and why it matters. Check out previous results and discover what happens after the elections.

elections.europa.eu

 

[bollman]

It's not true. Many corporations will take their apps from the AppStore and force users to install their stores. Banks will leave the appstore and create their own separate payment systems. It will be the same mess as in Android.

Please back this up with facts!
What banks are not in the Google Play Store?
Oh, you have no facts? Just FUD? Thought so...

Bank apps are afaik free, there is no need for free apps to exist in a different store, why would they ever bother?
I think most people here vastly overestimate the impact of this. If a company leaves the app store and decides to start their own, they will have to get the word out and get people to realize they have to install an app to be able to install an app. Most people will never bother and apps that leave the app store will be non-existant to most users.

 

[ninecows]

So you don’t want a government telling you what to buy, but you want a company to tell you what to install? 😀

You don’t get it then:
Governments are always evil.
Companies are always good.

😂

 

[bluecoast]

It's still not clear to me how this will work in relation to sideloading. Apple doesn't do geofencing like Android, you can access whichever app store you choose. The only real barrier is requiring a local payment method for paid apps.

Suspect that apple has been tight lipped about it to pre-empt people in other markets saying ‘well if you can do it there then you can do it here’.

 

[jlnr]

I take it you don't use a Mac then, with its compromised security and all.

The Mac actually does suffer from sideloading right now. Only apps on the Mac App Store have to be sandboxed, sideloaded apps like Spotify and Discord can happily upload my SSH private keys to wherever they want.

I wish both platforms would meet in the middle: Allow sideloading on iOS, enforce sandboxing on macOS. Only allow full access to apps when you open them via a right-click (same as unsigned apps).

 

[1129846]

I want this, and two other features: 1) Soft start alarm sounds so I'm not jolted out of bed. 2) Bring back screenshots of movies. Some of us movie fans like to post screenshots amongst ourselves. It's shaming - and announcing your Apple credentials - when you take a photo of the TV from your iPhone.

The screen shot of movies is not coming back. That is an os feature preventing screen shots of certain video types being captured. If you go to you tube for example you can screen shot normal videos but if playing paid content then nope. iOS provides api for devs to block it but does require certain video types being activately played. I wish they would extend that API to anything if an app wants to block screen shots from being taken

 

[TheOldChevy]

I will continue to buy from App Store exclusively as long as I can because I like the security and the convenience. But good that alternatives are proposed for the ones who like it another way.

 

[deevey]

Good on the EU for standing up for consumers over companies/profits! 👏🏻 We (US) have completely succumbed to corporate control and profit over absolutely everything else.

The law has nothing to do with consumers, but to do with "poor" developers. (Epic, match.com etc...)

 

[SoldOnApple]

you can already install altserver and use emulators on your iPhone. No problem at all.

I already have. But what a PITA it is. Plus casual users won't do it. If the emulators were in the App Store for free with millions of users then the devs would be motivated to work on it harder.

 

[Marshall73]

Brings the iOS devices in line with PC and Mac, you have official store fronts for applications but can also load on whatever you want. About time.