Sideloadingallows the installation of applications from sources other than the officialapp store. Android users have been enjoying sideloading for many years. Soon thisfeature will be available on iOS and iPadOS too, and users will be able tochoose where they source their apps. However, it is not entirely a voluntaryoption by Apple.
Sideloadingcan be particularly useful when certain applications are no longer available inthe official stores and alternative application stores may be utilized instead.Further, sideloading allows applications to be sent via mail or downloadeddirectly onto the device without need of any application store whatsoever.
Thebenefits of sideloading are evident and highly appealing not just for privateusers, but also for companies and, especially, developers. Sideloaded testapplications that may not conform to Google's rigorous guidelines can be tested.Furthermore, sideloaded apps bypass the protracted review processes of Google. Additionally,sideloading apps may prove more cost-effective by evading official store fees.
In thefuture, sideloading will no longer be restricted to Android devices but willalso be accessible on iOS and iPadOS devices. Apple plans to implement thisfeature in an update to iOS 17. Historically, Apple has imposed strictlimitations on iOS and iPadOS applications, with only App Store installationspermitted on iPhones and iPads. Apple's stringent approach has consistentlyemphasized potential risks to user security as the main reason for suchlimitations. That’s why the upcoming lift of these limitations are not voluntarilyimplemented by Apple, but rather a mandatory response to the Digital MarketsAct (DMA) of the European Union from 1 November 2022. The DMA complementscompetition law and curtails the market freedoms of major platforms in the EU.
Since the DMA's impacts are confined to theEuropean market, it is probable that Apple will exclusively permit sideloadingunder iOS and iPad in the European market. To achieve this goal, there will bean operating system version tailored to the impacted market. The specifics ofsideloading on an iPhone or iPad, as well as how Apple will identify a devicewithin the European market, will only become apparent once the update isreleased. This is anticipated to occur by the end of 2023.