iOS 17.2 hints at Apple moving towards letting users sideload apps from outside the App Store

L4sBot@lemmy.worldmod to Technology@lemmy.world – 199 points – iOS 17.2 hints at sideloading apps from outside the App Store
9to5mac.com

iOS 17.2 hints at Apple moving towards letting users sideload apps from outside the App Store::undefined

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For everyone rejoicing in this thread, there's no way Apple will allow this outside the EU. From the article:

We also found references to a region lock in this API, which suggests that Apple could restrict it to specific countries. This wouldn’t make sense for MDM solutions, but it does make sense for enabling sideloading in particular countries only when required by authorities – such as in the European Union.

I want side loading as much as the next guy, but Apple will only do the bare minimum to appease the EU regulations. Suck for those of us outside the EU.

Yeah, software is way easier to manage over borders than hardware - they already do that with their different App Stores. The comparison to USBC isn’t valid.

However, I wonder if it would be easy enough to trick your device into thinking it’s somewhere else. Recently had to download an app from the US App Store (I am Canadian) and all it took was creating a new account and declaring my country as USA. If it was that easy, I’m sure plenty of people would be happy enough making an alt Apple ID for side loading.

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Will setting language to UK be enough?

On that line of thinking Ireland might be a good choice - they speak English and are still in the EU.

Not sure the UK would be a valid option, the laws that the EU are passing now aren't making their way to the UK anymore so if Apple wanted to be thorough they'd block it in the UK too

We don't know yet, but the rumor mill says the setting will be geo locked. So probably not.

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