Apple has maintained the iPhone application distribution system shut and allows users to download apps exclusively from Apple’s App Store. The company could add gates to the walled garden that will allow people to download apps to iPhones in the near future.
A report said that the Cupertino-based firm is laying the foundations for this feature in iOS 17. Journalist Mark Gurman said in his newsletter that Apple is reworking its software to allow sideloading, and it is possible that we will hear about announcements related to this at the forthcoming Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) in June.
The previous year, a Bloomberg report suggested Apple’s new strategy towards sideloading due to an alteration in the regulation in Europe. The EU will come into the market in 2024. The DMA requires large tech companies to permit alternative stores for apps for their platforms, ensuring that developers can choose in regard to app distribution, and users are given the option to download apps downloaded from a variety of sources.
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It’s unclear if Apple is planning to allow sideloading with iOS 17 or if Apple is just making some changes at the operating system level to enable this possibility at some point down the road. The company didn’t immediately comment on the story.
Bloomberg’s most recent report stated the fact that Apple will also release changes to iOS, macOS, and TVOS. While the operating systems may be getting some incremental improvements, watchOS might get a massive overhaul in its design.