![]() ![]() Maybe you're thinking all this might be true, but I'll never download a sideloading-only app, and I won't be tricked into sideloading. At the 2021 Web Summit last week, Federighi said that while some users, such as those with a thorough understanding of technology, may not be harmed by sideloading, other users with less insight might be. To answer this question, we don't have to look any further than a recent stage appearance by Federighi. Why can't Apple give users a choice on whether they wish to sideload apps or not? Federighi noted that customers tend to install many more apps on mobile devices than they do on macOS, generating many more opportunities for potential malware to infect users. While Apple built the iPhone from the ground up under the curated App Store model starting in 2008, the Mac's longer history which long predates that app distribution model has required more flexibility.Īnother point Federighi made during his testimony is the different use cases for iOS and macOS. First, Federighi notably admitted that macOS has a "malware problem" and that Apple finds the level of malware on macOS "unacceptable." Federighi is implying here that the macOS security model is not a perfect system and that it doesn't want to implement a system that yields "unacceptable" results, in its eyes, onto iOS.įederighi went on to say that iOS "has established a dramatically higher bar for customer protection" and that as of May of 2021, macOS is "not meeting" that bar. Apple also utilizes notarization on macOS, where scanned apps free of harmful code are presented to users without warning.ĭuring his testimony in the Epic Games trial, Craig Federighi explained why a similar security apparatus couldn't be ported over to iOS. ![]() More specifically, the question is why the security features in place on macOS that protect against malicious code from software downloaded from the internet can't run on iOS.Īpple says that Gatekeeper on macOS "ensures that all apps from the internet have already been checked by Apple for known malicious code - before you run them the first time." If malicious code is found, Apple can automatically disable installations of that app and update its database to reflect that specific piece of software as dangerous to users. ![]() Some users have wondered why that same model can't be followed on iOS. While Apple offers an App Store on macOS, the Mac platform has always been an open one with users also freely able to install apps from anywhere on the internet and elsewhere. If users can sideload apps on macOS, why can't they on iOS? To help facilitate a more constructive conversation, we've created this summary of some of the most popular questions regarding sideloading and Apple's answers to them, sourced from appearances by top company executives, testimonies, and more. The wide range of information shared by Apple and top-ranking officials can make it difficult for customers to grasp the most important parts of Apple's anti-sideloading arguments. Epic Games, among other things, is seeking for users to be able to sideload apps, and it wants to bring its own Epic Games Store to iOS as a competitor to Apple's App Store.Īpple has strongly pushed back against this notion, saying that opening the iPhone to sideloading would leave customers vulnerable to malicious and insecure apps, compared to the curated experience offered by the App Store.Īpple has undertaken a sizable effort to provide users with context and information regarding its stance on sideloading, ranging from public comments by top executives to detailed studies and more. Whether Apple should allow sideloading on iPhone has become a hot-button topic in recent months, partly due to the lawsuit between Epic Games and Apple. A dedicated team at Apple vets all apps on the App Store before they're published. iPhone does not allow users to sideload apps, requiring that any self-contained app installed on the device is distributed through the App Store. Since the launch of the App Store in 2008, Apple has maintained stringent control over the experience of the iPhone and where customers can download and install apps. The iPhone, on the other hand, is a polar opposite. The practice is allowed on Android, granting users the flexibility of downloading apps from official or non-official app stores and the open internet. Sideloading is a fancy word for downloading an app binary from non-official platforms or the open internet and installing it on a device like a normal app. ![]()
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