Since the creation of App Storein 2008, a Apple never allowed it to be possible install any application that is not by your official store.
The benefit of this for the user is that he has a unique and safe place when we want to install something, with the confidence that we are protected from viruses and malware.
But there is a downside: if Apple bans any type of application, such as emulators of old games from GameBoywe are also prevented from having access to them, because officially there is no way to install them on the device.
Yes, there is the jailbreak and some alternative stores that create installation hacks, but for the great mass of users, it’s too complicated to waste time on it.
However, legislation being created around the world is starting to place the Cupertino company in a corridor without many exits. In theory, sooner or later Apple will have to give in and allow applications to be installed through other methods.
App Store changes for 2024
This week Bloomberg released a story saying that internal information from the company would have said that apple engineers are already studying ways to “open” the application installation platform on iOS to allow users to download apps from other places that are not linked to the company.
That would be a submission to new European Union legislation that will oblige all manufacturers to do this from 2024.
So there’s not much to run away from. Law is law.
Sideloading
The call “sideloading” is precisely the possibility of installing apps on a device from various sources.
This has always been the case with computers, including the Mac. You can download a program from anywhere on the internet and run it on your PC. Just one link.
Of course, the more nebulous and strange the place you are downloading the file from, the more chances it is compromised with viruses or malicious code. It’s the bad part of “freedom”.
Many say it’s silly to be afraid of it, just be careful where you download it. However, as highlighted by the AppleInsider“You may be ready for iPhone sideloading, but your parents aren’t.“.
Dangers of lack of control
Apple has not yet revealed how it intends to implement this “opening” (not least because everything is officially unconfirmed information). So, we will only know how she will resolve the issue when the change is presented.
However, it is hard to believe that Apple will adopt the same model that Google offers today: it has an official store, which is more controlled, but allows you to install applications (in .apk format) from anywhere on the internet.
To download something from outside the Play Storethe Android user needs to make the call root, that is, the system enables administrator privileges, which gives full access to the system. In practice, this disables all security features to allow installation of applications from elsewhere. But that leaves the system itself completely vulnerable to the dangers of the internet, as whatever is installed will have full access to everything.
From time to time we read news of malware on millions of Android devices. And that even in Apps downloaded from the Play Store.
In addition, with each company being able to create its own app store, several protections imposed by Apple could be abolished. For example, Facebook could remove its app from the official App Store and force the user to only download its apps from its own store without privacy restrictions. the app See themwhich collected personal information without the user knowing, may come back with everything.
Or the most unsuspecting can download fake applications that collect bank details, for example. Or that they use the computational power of the device to mine cryptocurrencies.
“Wow, what terrorism! Just teach people how to install apps safely and that’s it! Enough of this mimimi!“
It’s not that easy.
Believe me, there are many users who have little familiarity with technology, who don’t even know that there is an App Store on the iPhone. There are those who think that “downloaded from facebook” that cool game that appeared on her timeline and that she pressed the button to install. And it was actually just an advertisement that opened an embedded App Store link that allowed installation.
It’s very easy to deceive less “nerd” people to install things from the most different places, because they don’t have much idea of what is safe and what is not.
We don’t know how it will be
In fact, this is all speculation. We have to understand how Apple will be able to solve these questions and, at the same time, respect the legislation of the European Union.
What we do know is that it is very likely that Apple will have no choice and with that it will have to implement significant changes in how the user will be able to install applications on their iPhones.
Until then, we will have to wait.
