Hell has frozen over: Apple will probably allow apps from unknown sources on the iPhone!
After pressure from the European Union
es, as strange as it sounds. Yes, although Apple has gone all the way to court with Epic Games, where it has fought tooth and nail to support its closed ecosystem. Yes, Apple – it seems – will eventually allow the installation of applications from “unknown sources” on the iPhone , much like it already does on Android.
Going into details, Bloomberg’s highly trusted reporter Mark Gurman, who specializes in Apple-related matters and has an excellent track record of past confirmed leaks, was the one who brought the information in question to the public. In particular, he conveys that Apple has already started preparations to allow the installation of applications through third-party app stores on the iPhone and in general to make its ecosystem more open.
The reason; Behind this truly surprising move is the European Union . Through the Digital Markets Act (DMA) it passed, the EU will implement several new ones after 2024, which aim to make digital markets more open. According to the new EU legislation, Apple will have to allow iPhones and iPads both the ability to run third-party App Stores on iOS, as well as the sideloading of applications downloaded from the internet. Both of these huge changes sound like they’re on the way for iOS 17.
Of course, Apple should not be particularly happy with these developments, since for example it is worth mentioning that in the past it has called sideloading “the best friend” of hackers and cybercriminals. In this regard, the Bloomberg reporter points out that the company is considering various options to enforce security measures, while it is still undecided about what it will do with third-party payment systems, as well as with the possibility of iMessage working with other services, two things that would also need to be changed to conform to the DMA specification.
For the record, this is not the only change that Apple will be forced to make because of the EU, since in order to be able to continue selling its smartphones in the countries of the Union, the American giant will have to infect USB-C as well.
