iOS 17 to Have Sideloading In Order to Comply with European Regulations

Installing apps on your iPhone outside of the App Store?

If this report is accurate, this is a historical moment for iPhone users and other Apple clients, because iOS 17 will support sideloading.

“Sideloading”, the popular term for downloading apps outside of the official App Store, is something Android phones have had since the beginning. However, Apple’s “walled garden” approach has made it impossible for iPhones to offer such a feature. To have sideloading on iPhone, you had to jailbreak your phone, which obviously comes with huge drawbacks – not to mention it’s illegal.

Now, a Bloomberg report says Apple will allow iOS 17 to have sideloading in order to comply with European regulation.

Beyond the benefit to iPhone users, who can try more apps, sideloading will also allow developers to make more money, since they wouldn’t have to pay Apple the 15 to 30 percent fees associated with Apple Store. Remember the huge lawsuit between Apple and Epic Games precisely on this topic?

The regulation Apple has to follow is the European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA). It went into effect on November 1, 2022 and, according to MacRumors, it basically requires “gatekeeper” companies to open up their services and platforms to other companies and developers.

Also read: Right To Repair: How Do We Make Tech More Sustainable?