Report: Apple working on project for iOS apps outside of the App Store


Bloomberg via Ars Technica

Employees across Apple are working on changes to iOS that would open the iPhone to apps outside Apple's App Store, a report in Bloomberg claims. Citing people familiar with the efforts, the article claims that Apple is attempting to take action by 2024, in response to regulations from the European Union, such as the Digital Markets Act. In fact, the changes could go wide as soon as the release of iOS 17 late next year.

This would mark a dramatic shift from Apple's long-standing position that third-party app stores and sideloading apps from outside the App Store would pose security and privacy risks for iPhone owners. However, Apple is exploring ways to limit users' exposure to potentially malicious apps. For example, the company is discussing the possibility of still requiring outside apps to be "verified" by Apple, with specific security requirements.

If this happens, it may be limited to Europe, where Apple would be forced to offer alternatives. Apple may roll it out to other markets or perhaps only do so if forced.

This would be a major change for iOS, and the full ramifications would be unknown. While Apple's controlled ecosystem makes it easier for the company to safeguard users, it poses many issues that fall outside of data security. Not to mention anti-competitiveness in the marketplace as Apple competes with developers across multiple product areas. While it's easy to control the ecosystem tightly, that doesn't mean it's impossible. Users have come to trust the App Store and can continue using it. However, there may need to be some choices if developers discount prices outside of the App Store or not use it at all.