Apple May Finally Allow Sideloading of iOS Apps in EU next Year

Nov. 14, 2023

No matter how big Apple becomes, like every other company, it must follow laws set by legislative bodies. As you know, the latest iPhone 15 Series has a USB Type-C port. This was done because of an EU Law passed earlier, which required electronic devices to have USB-C as a requirement. Now, it appears that Apple might have to follow another EU law that forces it to act as a fair entity within the digital app market. Apple’s policy on having the official App Store as the only source for new apps could change with this!

So why is Apple going to allow sideloading? There is another major EU law that is making Apple change things up. It is known as theDigital Markets Act (DMA). This act aims to make the markets present in the digital sector ‘fairer and more contestable.’ DMA has specific criteria through which it analyzes which companies are considered ‘gatekeepers.’

Reportedly, Apple will also be changing how the Messaging app & payment apps work on the device.MacRumorsstates that thiscouldbe implemented via a localized iOS 17 update. But, there is also a chance that the change will come into effect when Apple launchesiOS 18at the annual WWDC event. It is unclear for now which exact iOS update will include this change. We will keep you updated as the situation progresses.

For those unaware, Sideloading is essentially the ability to install apps from another source. It is a popular feature given in iOS jailbreaks, although it has been possible to side-load tweaks & apps without jailbreaking as well.

What Does Apple Think of Side-Loading?

How exactly Apple will introduce this change and whether it will be entirely safe for users to side-load using the upcoming “highly controlled system” (as Gurman said it would be) is something we will have to see for ourselves. This is quite a tricky situation for Apple, given how locked down its ecosystem is.

What are your thoughts on side-loading apps on iPhone? Do you think this change might even find its way to other countries and eventually worldwide? Let us know in the comments below.

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