iOS 17 beta has no sideloading, but Apple executive reveals possible compromise with EU regulators
Although Apple failed to address the integration of sideloading capabilities, allowing users to install third-party software, into iOS 17 during WWDC 2023, and such a feature is not present in the currently available iOS 17 beta for developer testing, Craig Federighi, Senior Vice President of Software Engineering, hinted at a potential capitulation to European Union regulators.
Federighi has not explicitly confirmed if iOS 17 will indeed include the capacity to sideload third-party applications, but under the regulations of the European Union’s Digital Markets Act, Apple’s continued sale of iPhone products in the EU market would necessitate compromise on this matter.
Hitherto, Apple has staunchly opposed the use of third-party apps through sideloading due to increased privacy and security risks, emphasizing the importance of the App Store’s strict application review policy in ensuring the safety of downloaded apps. However, regardless of Apple’s insistence on the heightened security risks associated with enabling sideloading, it is a change that must be made in compliance with EU regulations, or Apple could face fines amounting to 20% of its global revenue. Yet, allowing users to install third-party apps via sideloading could cause Apple to lose significant platform service fees and share of service revenue, hence Apple may still be contemplating alternatives to safeguard its profitability.
Previous market speculation suggested that Apple might allow the use of third-party applications through sideloading in iOS 17, or perhaps via third-party software marketplaces, but it remains uncertain whether such a policy would only be permitted within the EU, implemented globally, or necessitate additional fees for developers to “unlock” this mode of usage.
From Apple’s perspective, the company is likely to avoid discussing this matter and might not provide a definitive answer before the official release of iOS 17 in the fall. However, given the pressure exerted by new EU legislation, the likelihood of Apple having to compromise is quite high.
