Apple has always kept a tight leash on its iPhone app distribution system. iPhone users are only allowed to download apps strictly from only the App Store. This is something that might be changing very soon. There are talks of plans for Apple to prep for sideloading apps to be on iPhones.
Apple is putting measures in place to control the upcoming change. From Bloomberg, it’s been noted that the company is putting some groundwork for these plans in iOS 17. This is something a lot of users and developers will be looking forward to. Mark Gurman said in his newsletter that Apple is overhauling its software for sideloading. We might see some announcements related to that at the upcoming Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) in June. It is about time that sideloading apps become available on iOS, which has been on Android since its inception.
Last year, another Bloomberg report dropped hints of Apple’s new approach toward sideloading. The change was owed to the change in regulation in Europe. EU’s Digital Market Act (DMA) will come into effect in 2024. This forces big tech to allow alternative app stores on their platforms, so developers have a choice when it comes to app distribution and users have the option of accessing apps from other sources.
