Apple has always refused to allow sideloading apps on iOS, the operating system that has accompanied the iPhone since its first generation. This has always been one of the big differences between iOS and Android, as Google makes it easier to install apps from other sources, whether they’re third-party stores, independent repositories, or even files that can make their way onto the device. different ways.

In his defense, Apple has always claimed that it does this to protect its users, and to some extent it is true that very strict control of the software that can reach the device significantly reduces the threat of malware. It’s not for nothing that the vast majority of scam messages (email, SMS, IM, etc.) that we regularly receive trick us into downloading an Android app, a process that cannot be replicated on iOS.

However, This policy also played a very important role in Apple’s accountsand if everything installed on iOS has to be done through the App Store, any monetization associated with said software that happens on the device translates into the well-known commission they receive in Cupertino. A multi-million dollar business model, which from a purely commercial point of view is understood as something that Apple wants to maintain as much as possible over time.

However, despite Cupertino’s wishes, this closed model is destined to live out its final days. With the approval of the European Union’s Digital Markets Act, starting in May 2024, Apple will have to allow sideloading on devices sold in the EU, and as we can read in 9to5Mac, Japan is already preparing its legislation so that Apple must allow sideloading and third-party payment systems on iOS, thereby developing a measure that was already advanced last June. According to this information, regulators are already working on defining the standard, so it’s only a matter of time.

Thus, We already see two relevant markets that will force Apple to allow sideloading of apps on iOSand all indications are that we will see more regulatory moves in this regard in the future. So Apple has three options. The first is to try to prevent these rules from being applied, which may give you a little more time in the fenced garden. The second is to adapt to each market using technological solutions based on the user’s geolocation. And the third is to assume that this model is already obsolete and, as a result, enable side charging in iOS globally, just as the USB-C port in the new iPhone is not limited to the European Union.

As an iOS user since 2009 (a few years with jailbreak, by the way), with the iPhone 3GS, I completely understand Apple’s philosophy of one-stop-shop security (its own, of course) with high surveillance against outsider threats. However, That’s still a monopoly, plus user restrictions. The key to their safety is safety training, not walls.