iOS 17 sideloading apps on iPhone
Apple is overhauling its software for sideloading and we might see some announcement related to that at the upcoming Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) in June
Apple’s new approach towards sideloading, owing to a change in regulation in Europe. EU’s Digital Market Act (DMA) will come into effect in 2024. The act forces big tech companies to allow alternative app stores on their platforms, so developers have a choice when it comes to app distribution and users have the choice of downloading apps from different sources.
It’s unclear if Apple is planning to allow sideloading with iOS 17 or if Apple is just making some changes at the operating system level to enable this possibility at some point down the road. The company didn’t immediately comment on the story.
Tim Cook and Craig Federighi have staunchly opposed sideloading citing privacy and security reasons.