14 DAY TRIAL // Reports that surfaced earlier this week indicated that new EU regulations could force Apple to allow sideloading and even third-party app stores on iOS.
Without a doubt, this would be the end of an era for Apple, a company that turned the iOS ecosystem into a walled garden that’s entirely under its supervision.
But if the new regulations go through, Apple could be forced not only to enable sideloading on the iPhone but also to let others build third-party stores that could be used by pretty much anybody out there.
At first glance, this is great news for everybody, but on the other hand, a high-profile iOS developer says this could very well be a double-edged sword for users.
Riley Testut, the dev that brought us AltStore, the largest alternative app store currently available on iOS, believes that while sideloading would come in handy, not the same thing can be said about third-party app stores.
“Many people choose iOS for its secure, curated App Store experience. Any App Store changes should respect this, but full-blown 3rd party stores would disrupt this experience for *everyone*. If, for example, Meta made an app store, they’d want exclusive apps. Unfortunately these apps don’t exist yet, so what can they do in the meantime? Pay App Store devs to leave the App Store of course!” he said in posts on Twitter.
Eventually, Testut says, most companies could be tempted to leave the App Store and move their apps to their own stores, therefore making the experience overall quite a pain in the neck.
Now you HAVE to use 3 different app stores, or else you’ll lose access to the apps you’re already using! So yes, it’s a choice — but the choice is NOT “do I use 3rd party stores to get cool new apps”. Instead it’s: do I use 3rd party stores *just to keep using my current apps*” he explains.