Rumors have surfaced this week about a new EU regulation that could force Apple to allow sideloading and even third-party app stores on iOS. This would undoubtedly mark the end of an era for Apple, which until now has kept the iOS ecosystem under tight control.
At first glance, the idea of having third-party app stores sounds good, but on the other hand, a well-known well-known iOS developer has explained that this could be a double-edged sword for users.
Riley Testut the developer who brought us AltStore, the largest alternative app store currently available on iOS, believes that while sideloading would be very useful, The same cannot be said for third-party app stores.
Many people choose iOS for its safe and curated App Store experience. Any changes to the App Store should respect this, but full-fledged third-party stores would alter this experience to everybody.
If, for example, Meta created an app store, it would want exclusive apps. Unfortunately, these apps don’t exist yet, so what can you do in the meantime? Paying App Store developers to leave the App Store, of course.
And not just Meta: *all* app stores would want exclusive apps to compete. And since literally every iOS app is currently on the App Store, there’s simply no way to amass a competitive app library fast enough without stealing apps from the App Store.
This is what I see happening: Instagram? It’s moved to the Meta store for obvious reasons, so you can no longer receive updates unless you also install the Meta store.
That note-taking app you’ve been using for years? They’re tired of paying Apple 30%, so now they’re in the Epic store!
You now HAVE to use 3 different app stores, or you will lose access to the apps you are already using!
So yes, it’s a choice, but the choice is NOT “do I use 3rd party stores to get new apps?” Instead it’s: do I use third-party stores *just to keep using my current apps*?
Testut says that over time, most companies could be tempted to abandon the App Store and move to other stores, making the experience a pain in the ass.