- A Bloomberg report suggests Apple is working on allowing for iPhone app sideloading.
- This would be a direct response to the EU’s Digital Markets Act, which is set to go into effect next year.
- Allegedly, Apple is also working on changes to iMessage, NFC access, and more.
One of the definitive differences between Android and iOS is the former’s ability to sideload applications. “Sideloading” is when you install applications from outside the officially sanctioned source, which in the case of Android is the Google Play Store. iPhone users have never had the ability to sideload apps — at least not without some effort to circumvent Apple’s “walled garden.”
It looks like this differentiator might not stand for much longer. According to prominent (and frequently correct) Apple analyst/leaker Mark Gurman (via Bloomberg), Apple could be working on allowing for iPhone app sideloading. If true, this would allow iPhone users to install any app they want, not just the ones that appear on the official App Store. It also would allow developers to skip giving Apple a 30% cut of their app profits.