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Yay, no more running a cable through an external recording device for interviews. That'd indeed be nice. But I see nothing that suggests that sideloaded apps will be more capable than iOS ones - therefore they won't offer an additional attack vector either - unless they deliberately circumvent iOS security measures.

That depends if the Apple side load solution allows private APIs.
 
If you can write for iOS without any checks on how that software will work. You will end up with malware from some of these apps. No different than when EPIC changed server side, how Fortnite can charge around the AppStore.
Apple couldn't revoke that universally anymore if you got an App outside its' store.

All the app would have to do is ask you for persmission to do "something". You allow it, and done. Any vulnerability found (think zero day), could be used by a malware app to take over your phone. Similar to a JailBreak but, you wouldn't know about it till it was way too late.

You would also be opened up to drive by downloads. Click a link, and your browser would just download a payload in the background and maybe sometime later prompt you for access to say your camera app or photos, contacts etc..
Apple would then have to include some kind of malware protection like they do on MacOS. But now it's going to run on your phone. With something like 1/7th the battery size.

The iPhone would instantly be a sought after target. Since it is popular, and most users wouldn't even know about this new "feature". Lots of users update right away to the newest release of iOS.
I fully expect there to be issues after release.
Can you even write to iOS system partition Willy-nilly today? And malware don’t target device as much as targeting human has higher chance of success. And what revoke are you talking about? Apple not taking 30% cut, so they ban fortnite. Plain and simple. After sideloading players who are willing to take the risk would just download Fortnite elsewhere, while other just move on and play another game.

Apps are already asking random permissions especially for maliciously designed simple apps asking for calendar access, contact access, location access etc etc. They don’t need jailbreak. They only need a compromised user To work. And that’s before sideloading becoming a thing.

Drive by downloads? I can tell you, advanced iOS malware has been doing that without the need to do sideloading. It’s just that the exploit price is so high people don’t really use it to attack general public, but target high profile persons. That’s why normal folks don’t need antivirus on iOS because the one infect your iOS right now won’t let you know what’s happening anyway. Again, before sideloading.

iPhone has long been a sought after target since its release. Nothing will change whether Apple comply with EU law or not. We don’t even know how crippled that sideloading is (guaranteed to be crippled), and you folks sound like the end of iOS is coming and App Store would no longer be popular. Remember, YOU are the weakest link, not malware, not iOS, not Android.
 
That's not what I'm telling you at all. I said nothing of iOS. Do you pay for iOS? I was talking about apps, where most of the time you have a choice of different apps that do the same thing. An app in the App Store is like a product in a grocery store. Don't like the price? Buy it someplace else or don't buy it at all. We all make that choice every time we go.

Yes.
In the Eu your device comes with a single licensed copy that you the buyer own when you purchase said device.
In the US it is a bit different.
 
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And why should you get what you want? You want government regulation to get what you want? What gives you the right to demand anything from Apple? You prefer Apple’s products but you want them on your terms, not Apple’s? How does this work in a free market economy? Have you not witnessed what happens government manages an economy?
And why should YOU demand government to not interfere with what Apple is doing? We demand Apple to give a device and an iOS that suits our needs. Apple’s terms? Tell shareholders how would they think if Apple suddenly can’t sell iPhone as much as they can today, and sales drop by 50%. Free market economy? I hate to break it to you but free market doesn’t exist. What do exist is a market that is relatively less regulated compared to other countries. And of course, government has to manage the economy. That’s part of their job. Apple on the other hand, care nothing about economy. If the cost of gaining $15T profit is destroying an economy, they will destroy said economy to gain that $15T profit. Plain and simple.
That depends if the Apple side load solution allows private APIs.
That won’t happen. Sideloading will be so bad that no one wants to use it.
 
End of the day you are either for side loading, against side loading, or don't care.

It will be interesting.
Wonder if thy will preview it in the beta's?
Seems like it would be worked into betas at some point, but it similar to how they implemented icloud encryption. It just shows up. Because it’s done through internal testing.
 
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I stopped after reading this, holy moly this is such a leap of logic no reasonable person would make. I don't know how you read my post saying "I think we should be able to install apps that are not from the App Store" to "I want the government to make a backdoor to track terrorists". Absolutely unhinged.
You're obviously not able to see the connection.

A Third Party App Store IN AND OF ITSELF is a backdoor to encrypting the OS because iOS was NOT designed for a THIRD PARTY APP STORE.

So, ALL OF THE PROTECTIONS on iOS are designed around the paradigm that Apple has ONE App Store OWNED by them, where ALL APPS are APPROVED by them, and then they allow customers to download those apps to the device.

A Third Party App Store is an END RUN around the App Store as the gatekeeper of all security, like a fence around a house.

Now, Apple has to put fences up INSIDE the house (iOS) to deal with apps they may not have approved of: porn (with possibly no protection for minors), garbage trash not good enough for the App Store, amateur apps made with poor skill that cause iOS kernel panics (SIGKILL/SIGABRT), money grubbers, making an app that is merely just encasing a browser pointed at your website instead of actually putting thought and skill into it, and leeches who want to access your customer base FOR FREE with no payment for the cost of acquiring said customers.

All of these plague the Android ecosystem still, with people merely making an "app" where it's just a web browser pointed straight at a site, and then charging money for that.
 
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The policy is iOS and it allowing or disallowing code to be executed at the OS level, outside of the app framework.
If malware is to be executed, only Apple is to blame.
So today, Apple doesn't have to allow side-loading. And therefor they are no side-loaded malware for Apple to block. Once they are forced to allow side-loading. It will be Apple's fault if any side-loaded apps are actually malware, and run. Because they should have prevented it from running in the first place?
Have you never read the part of „security fixes and speed improvements“ part of any app or OS update? That is what this is about because they don‘t even trust their own app review team.
It is easier to stop malware from running on an iPhone when you're in control of what can be put on the iPhone no?
And again, sideloading exists for almost any device that has been handed out by a capable company to their employee.
Except for Apple's iOS/iPadOS/WatchOS devices (yet). And, again. If anyone wants a device they can side load to, pick up any of those "other" devices and have at it. Why should I as a customer that has paid for many Apple devices over the years, get to lose my choice for a locked down device?

And for those that say, "Well, you don't have to side-load". Don't get it either. Since there are other ways to provide someone a way to accidentally obtain said files outside the AppStore. SMS link, Email Link/attachments, malicious website, etc. This affects everyone. And for the minority of those out there that want this ability, and even fewer minority of those that actually know what they are doing. For the VAST majority of us that simply want a device exactly the way it is. Makes no sense to me.

Additionally, I don't think anyone really wants some kind of AV software running in the background forever on their mobile device.
 
You're obviously not able to see the connection.

A Third Party App Store IN AND OF ITSELF is a backdoor to encrypting the OS because iOS was NOT designed for a THIRD PARTY APP STORE.

So, ALL OF THE PROTECTIONS on iOS are designed around the paradigm that Apple has ONE App Store OWNED by them, where ALL APPS are APPROVED by them, and then they allow customers to download those apps to the device.

A Third Party App Store is an END RUN around the App Store as the gatekeeper of all security, like a fence around a house.

Now, Apple has to put fences up INSIDE the house (iOS) to deal with apps they may not have approved of: porn (with possibly no protection for minors), garbage trash not good enough for the App Store, amateur apps made with poor skill that cause iOS kernel panics (SIGKILL/SIGABRT), money grubbers, making an app that is merely just encasing a browser pointed at your website instead of actually putting thought and skill into it, and leeches who want to access your customer base FOR FREE with no payment for the cost of acquiring said customers.
I don't think you understand. So I'll help here.
1) They believe iOS will protect you magically. Because if it doesn't, it's Apple's fault.
2) The Government doesn't want you to have an encrypted device, but they also want Apple to ban Tic-Tok.
3) There are no backdoors that can't be plugged by Apple, while allowing you to install anything you want!
4) You will have more choices to install things you need. Just like the other 5% of all users out there do today!
5) Apple will fix all security issues with patches to iOS, because... Words!!!
 
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It's a valid point, but this problem is a testament to how bad macOS organizes stuff internally, and how atrocious Mac App Store is for developers.

Imagine if macOS apps would be properly sandboxed, and if Mac App Store was actually fair and inviting for developers?

I'm absolutely certain we can achieve both side-loading and convenience; Android is a good example of that, and iOS would probably be even better.
Just buy Android and be done with the experiment.
 
There was a time the Mac was 'virus proof' but this was due to its narrow market share rather than security. Apple now controls something like 35-40% of the US PC market and are a much bigger target.

I've not been a fan of the iPhone 'infantilisation' either. Apple have done their job gaslighting a generation of customers into believing that sideloading is somehow going to destroy their iPhone and it reflects on their bottom line. There's nothing wrong with tech that 'just works' but its nice to unpick it and learn to solve your own problems too.
Now, imagine a world where you can both. You can pick a simple device that just works but it is mostly locked down with 1 store to get your apps. AND, you can pick from hundreds of other manufactures running another operating system that lets you do whatever you want. Maybe not as easy to do, but you can learn quickly enough. Which you can do whatever you want to it or with it. Sounds like a dream.
 
It absolutely will make malware situation better.

Android and Windows and macOS allow for third-party software but they also have a lot of protections in place, from scanning the links through database of known malware (macOS Safari also does that) to features like core isolation, separation of root and user access, permissions model, etc.

It's about time for Apple to embark on that journey for iOS and to stop relying on manual reviewing of submitted software, which will make it more secure for all the customers, including those who don't care about sideloading at all.
OR, just by the MacBook air?
 


Apple in iOS 17 will for the first time allow iPhone users to download apps hosted outside of its official App Store, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

iOS-17-Icon-Mock-Feature-Feature.jpg

Otherwise known as sideloading, the change would allow customers to download apps without needing to use the App Store, which would mean developers wouldn't need to pay Apple's 15 to 30 percent fees.

The European Union's Digital Markets Act (DMA), which went into effect on November 1, 2022, requires "gatekeeper" companies to open up their services and platforms to other companies and developers.

The DMA will have a big impact on Apple's platforms, and it could result in Apple making major changes to the ‌App Store‌, Messages, FaceTime, Siri, and more. Apple is planning to implement sideloading support to comply with the new European regulations by next year, according to Gurman.

Apple has claimed that sideloading will "undermine the privacy and security protections" that iPhone users rely on, leaving people vulnerable to malware, scams, data tracking, and other issues. However, Apple must comply with the DMA or it risks fines of as much as 20 percent of its global revenue if the EU laws are violated.

In a December 2022 report Gurman said Apple was considering implementing security requirements such as verification, a process that it could charge a fee for in lieu of collecting money from app sales. Apple has a verification system on Mac that allows users to be safe while giving them access to apps outside of the Mac App Store.

If other countries introduce similar legislation, alternate app stores could expand beyond the European Union. The United States, for example, is considering legislation that would require Apple to allow sideloading.

Article Link: iOS 17 to Support App Sideloading to Comply With European Regulations


Apple in iOS 17 will for the first time allow iPhone users to download apps hosted outside of its official App Store, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

iOS-17-Icon-Mock-Feature-Feature.jpg

Otherwise known as sideloading, the change would allow customers to download apps without needing to use the App Store, which would mean developers wouldn't need to pay Apple's 15 to 30 percent fees.

The European Union's Digital Markets Act (DMA), which went into effect on November 1, 2022, requires "gatekeeper" companies to open up their services and platforms to other companies and developers.

The DMA will have a big impact on Apple's platforms, and it could result in Apple making major changes to the ‌App Store‌, Messages, FaceTime, Siri, and more. Apple is planning to implement sideloading support to comply with the new European regulations by next year, according to Gurman.

Apple has claimed that sideloading will "undermine the privacy and security protections" that iPhone users rely on, leaving people vulnerable to malware, scams, data tracking, and other issues. However, Apple must comply with the DMA or it risks fines of as much as 20 percent of its global revenue if the EU laws are violated.

In a December 2022 report Gurman said Apple was considering implementing security requirements such as verification, a process that it could charge a fee for in lieu of collecting money from app sales. Apple has a verification system on Mac that allows users to be safe while giving them access to apps outside of the Mac App Store.

If other countries introduce similar legislation, alternate app stores could expand beyond the European Union. The United States, for example, is considering legislation that would require Apple to allow sideloading.

Article Link: iOS 17 to Support App Sideloading to Comply With European Regulations
So you side load a great game that is so fun you cant put it down, or a word processor app that has cool features. Then as time goes by, you have to down load updates that require you to pay more or the next update is an exclusive only downloadable by jumping through another hoop like paying more or down loading another app from the same developer. Oh and all you r progress is on the developers server and you cant transfer it to your own device. Then what? There are lots of other examples of things to come. For some it will be heaven and good for them. But for a lot of people they won't think about what might come over time and then get screwed.
 
I have a Mac, and let me tell you: more than half of the apps I have installed on my Mac don't come from the App Store.

These are not apps that would violate the App Store rules in any way, it's just that the developer chose to distribute their software outside the App Store to "avoid the Apple tax".

Maybe that's good for these companies, but does it really benefit the users? As a user, the only thing I can see is the mess of having to manage installs, updates, and payment information in a thousand different places instead of one and having to deal with third-party installers that install junk and root kits everywhere in my system just to let me use their stupid service.

I'll give you a quick example of what I mean: Spotify on macOS.

Spotify as you know for sure is available on the iOS App Store, but not on the Mac App Store.

To get Spotify on your Mac you have to go to their website, download the installer and run the installer to install the app on your Mac.

The installer doesn't just install the Spotify app on your system, but also edits some system files (without your explicit permission) so that Spotify can launch itself automatically every time you restart your computer.

View attachment 2190177

And this is just the start. Who knows what other junk is installed by these third-party installers. They all ask for the admin password, even when they install trivial, self-contained apps, and that means that they technically have permission to install junk wherever they want inside your system.

I seldom appreciate the fact that I can install whatever I want on my Mac, but I am often frustrated by all the third-party installers that try to install junk and adware and having to deal with third-party payment processing systems.

I don't want my phone to become like this.
I don't know if it is even considered harmful to spread such nonsense here.

1. Most external applications are bundled in an .dmg image file, which just contains the app. There is no such thing as the concept of an "installer".
2. Only if you drag an app from said .dmg file (you can even solely start it from there) into a folder that affects everyone (such as the shared Application folder), it requires an admin password because of the principle of discretion. Imagine there was a ******* app and you'd install it, and everyone else who works on that computer sees it as well. Facepalm prevented by the obligatory admin password, and only if you want the whole family to have fun on said ******* app.
If you so need it, drag it anywhere in your user folder (no password needed). You can even create an Applications folder for yourself.
3. Downloading an app from the holy App Store isn't a simple file download either, there is an install process which creates not just sub-folders but also folders and files in the iOS library section, which is exactly what either a .pkg or .app (such as the Spotify installer) does. The idea that it's just a download has been successfully planted by Apple in your mind, and you are feeding this utopia to others without even validating your so-called knowledge.
4. You can easily disable the autostart both in the macOS settings as well as in the dock's app icon. There is no forcing anyone to keep tolerating this. I have it installed on my laptop so I can use it in areas where I don't have internet, but when I do, I just use the website to save resources and for privacy.

There are also applications such as Little Snitch which offer protection that not even macOS (or iOS, for that matter) provides. It's also arguable if you intend to give the developer the money or Apple (who apparently needs it so desperately?). I for sure would rather support the Little Snitch guys or the ones developing open source software (such as bitcoin developers) instead of Apple who already got the developer account fee. They don't use the App Store so they should not have to pay for any of that. Free app developers also don't have to pay anything besides the fee.

Sideloading does not just allow annoying apps but also essential and helpful software with advanced functions. There are apps like DaisyDisk which offer both an App Store and a non-App Store version, with the individual version being able to do its task better and display more.

So, a few points yet again:
1. You have to find the menu point to disable the sideloading block after having received a warning.
2. Apps can only be installed when they are signed from a certified developer. So there's no fooling around unless said developer really wants their account deleted.
3. Such apps can always be remotely removed if they turn out to have zero-day harmful code.
4. It will probably do a good thing to the environment being able to do more on your tablet and not having to carry and buy as many Apple devices as possible just to do the tasks you have to do on the device that is most convenient for you and not for Apple.
 
This is the issue I have with mandating side loading. The 15 to 30% that is paid to have apps on the App Store is a bargain. Developer good apps, let someone else worry about infrastructure.

Try selling something to Walmart, they charge 50% plus. Yeah, you can open your own store, but at what cost.

Mandatory side loading is bad news for consumers.
How many people actually want to sideload my family have androids & they have no interest in side loading apps
 
What gives Apple the right to dictate to government how to regular commerce in their own jurisdictions?
Nothing. When did I say Apple should dictate to the governments? I said Apple should leave these jurisdictions and let them enjoy the freedom of Android.
 
Well if Apple didn't want government dictating what to do, they should've enabled sideloading ages ago. They brought this on themselves.

Also they're a multibillion dollar company lmao. Corporations aren't gonna do things out of the goodness of their heart. You think Microsoft wanted to allow other web browsers besides IE on Windows? If United States of America vs Microsoft didn't happen, we would all be stuck on IE.



Firstly, whataboutism. Secondly, completely separate situation. Apple left Russia because PUTIN INVADED UKRAINE and every G20 member sanctioned them, so since Apple is an American company they gotta comply with sanctions on Russia. Plus, Russia's on the verge of economic collapse because of Putin's dumb war. Of course Apple's not gonna do business in a country who's currency is about to become worthless.
What a stupid comment! You don’t understand how commerce works. Go dig a ditch. You will spend your time in a more creative way than posting this nonsense here.
 
Can you even write to iOS system partition Willy-nilly today? And malware don’t target device as much as targeting human has higher chance of success. And what revoke are you talking about? Apple not taking 30% cut, so they ban fortnite. Plain and simple. After sideloading players who are willing to take the risk would just download Fortnite elsewhere, while other just move on and play another game.
Me? No, I can't. I don't know how, not a programer.
They don't target devices? So why do we have AV software for our laptops and desktops?
Not sure what you mean by revoke?
30% is/was the commission.
Fortnite broke the rules, and those rules have consequences if they are broken.
According to some on these forums. They seem to not be willing to side-load. About 5% seem to, ish.
Apps are already asking random permissions especially for maliciously designed simple apps asking for calendar access, contact access, location access etc etc. They don’t need jailbreak. They only need a compromised user To work. And that’s before sideloading becoming a thing.
Now add getting these pop-ups when you click a link in an email or SMS message. Or an attachment in your emails. When before, you expected nothing to happen. Now, you get pop-up. Maybe you don't even get those, as it exploits a zero-day vulnerability. So it just installs. Or does whatever it was designed to do without you knowing.
Drive by downloads? I can tell you, advanced iOS malware has been doing that without the need to do sideloading. It’s just that the exploit price is so high people don’t really use it to attack general public, but target high profile persons. That’s why normal folks don’t need antivirus on iOS because the one infect your iOS right now won’t let you know what’s happening anyway. Again, before sideloading.
So, we just let that out there on the masses till it finds those "right" people with decent money to go after?
Glad I'm not one of those people!
iPhone has long been a sought after target since its release. Nothing will change whether Apple comply with EU law or not. We don’t even know how crippled that sideloading is (guaranteed to be crippled), and you folks sound like the end of iOS is coming and App Store would no longer be popular. Remember, YOU are the weakest link, not malware, not iOS, not Android.
Again, many have stated that not a whole lot of people on Android side-load. Which brings up the next question of "why are we doing this then, if it's not even close to a majority of people that will ever use it?" Especially on the most popular OS platform. The solution we have is simple and the most effective at preventing the bad stuff from getting onto your device. Simple gateway (1 store). That's it. Everything else via a web browser (that itself is limited as best it can be, but they want Chrome, Edge, Firefox on it too!). Prevent as much as possible, any access to the kernel or drivers, hardware, etc.
They will want hardware access as well (USB/Thunderbolt/NFC/Bluetooth/Wi-Fi/Camera/SEP). So they can be on a level playing field with Apple and the access it has.

The iPhone was not meant to be a general purpose computer. Like macOS (Laptop/Desktop). It runs with much less power, and is always on a network connection (Cell or Wi-Fi).
If you want macOS on a mobile device, buy a MacBook air.
 
Alternative a)

Apple will allow sideloading:

- Only models with 6 GB RAM or more will be compatible
- Will be under a sandbox virtual machine inside iOS or iPadOS, with every layer (storage, photos, camera, on their own - no interact with core operating system resources)
- Will be an on/off switch in advanced options in settings, warning:
* It will reduce system performance considerably

You can install whatever you want on your device, but this will NOT interact with the core operating system at any level.

Alternative b)

Apple will allow sideloading, natively:

- Every iOS 17 supported model will be compatible
- Will be an on-only switch in advanced options in settings, warning:
* Face ID will be disabled
* Apple Pay will be disabled
* FaceTime will be disabled
* Apple Watch integration will be disabled
* Only App Store will remain enabled and possibly Apple Music and Apple TV+
- You will have 3 warning messages indicating that this could put your data at risk
- In order to disable it and revert to normal no-sideloading operation, you must factory-reset your iPhone

Basically, you will have an unlocked iPhone, but crippled.

This will comply with EU regulation: you want to install whatever you want? Cool, install whatever you want. Then, if this is useful or not, or cripple your iPhone, it's not their problem.
No, it will not comply with this regulation.

If you thibk that, you have clearly never read or understood that legislation (and frankly just refrain from spewing such nonsense).

There’s numerous clauses in the regulation that address and prohibit most of your „oh-so-clever“ ideas:

„The gatekeeper shall allow providers of services and providers of hardware, free of charge, effective interoperability with, and access for the purposes of interoperability to, the same hardware and software features accessed or controlled via the operating system or virtual assistant listed in the designation decision pursuant to Article 3(9) as are available to services or hardware provided by the gatekeeper. Furthermore, the gatekeeper shall allow business users and alternative providers of services provided together with, or in support of, core platform services, free of charge, effective interoperability with, and access for the purposes of interoperability to, the same operating system, hardware or software features, regardless of whether those features are part of the operating system, as are available to, or used by, that gatekeeper when providing such services.“

„The gatekeeper shall allow end users to access and use, through its core platform services, content, subscriptions, features or other items, by using the software application of a business user, including where those end users acquired such items from the relevant business user without using the core platform services of the gatekeeper.“

The gatekeeper shall not degrade the conditions or quality of any of the core platform services provided to business users or end users who avail themselves of the rights or choices laid down in Articles 5, 6 and 7, or make the exercise of those rights or choices unduly difficult, including by offering choices to the end-user in a non-neutral manner, or by subverting end users’ or business users' autonomy, decision-making, or free choice via the structure, design, function or manner of operation of a user interface or a part thereof.
 
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I'm OK with this, as long as it is made absolutely clear that end users are solely responsible for anything that might happen if they enable sideloading. My worry is that too often those who demand the ability to do what they want refuse to accept the consequences of their actions.

I'm also willing to be that this will come with some unintended consequences as Apple charges other subscriptions and fees to make up for lost App Store revenue.
 
I'm also willing to be that this will come with some unintended consequences as Apple charges other subscriptions and fees to make up for lost App Store revenue.
They already do, they just got rid of long free passes to some services, weekly trials, increment subscription rates a tad higher. Given what they sell the store losing some income should not be a hardship. Most people can just stop purchasing as much software if it gets bad.
 
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