14 DAY TRIAL // Sideloading apps on Apple’s mobile platform is something the company isn’t even considering, all because of the security risks that are involved with such an approach.
And Apple's head of user privacy, Erik Neuenschwander, has made a strong case for blocking sideloading apps on iOS in an interview with Fast Company, explaining that those who want such capabilities can just make the switch to other operating systems.
In other words, if you want to be part of the sideloading world, you can very well get an Android device, though Neuenschwander has repeatedly insisted that doing this on your device isn’t necessarily the best way to go because some of their data could be exposed.
“Sideloading in this case is actually eliminating choice,” he explained. “Users who want that direct access to applications without any kind of review have sideloading today on other platforms. The iOS platform is the one where users understand that they can't be tricked or duped into some dark alley or side road where they're going to end up with a sideloaded app, even if they didn't intend to.”
Sideloading apps, a big no
Furthermore, Neuenschwander pointed out that malicious actors out there are turning to all kinds of tricks that would leave users and their data exposed.
“Even users who intend—they've consciously thought themselves that they are only going to download apps from the App Store—well, the attackers know this, so they're going to try to convince that user that they're downloading an app from the App Store even when that's not happening,” he continued.
So there you go. Sideloading apps is something that won’t be allowed on iOS anytime soon, though don’t be too surprised if at one point Apple decides to reserve this decision. After all, the company has already embraced some ideas that it wasn’t a big fan of previously, so time will tell if anything changes in this regard as well.