SURPRISE for Apple users! iOS 17 update could finally allow app sideloading on iPhone 14, iPhone 13 and more

A new leak around iOS 17 has created a big buzz among iPhone enthusiasts. Ever since the introduction of the App Store, iPhone users have been restricted to downloading and installing applications only from within the App Store. This has not been the case for Android phones, where users can download apps from marketplaces outside of the Play Store for years. Known as sideloading, the feature has reduced the options of apps available for iPhone users for a long time. But now, it appears that the iOS 17 update could finally introduce sideloading support for iPhone devices.

According to a report by Apple tipster Mark Gurman in Bloomberg, the iOS 17 update will enable iPhone users to download applications outside the App Store for the first time ever. But the leak is a strange one. While from a user standpoint, this is a great feature that can change the perception of what people can do with their iPhones, it is not so good for Apple itself.

iOS 17 can allow app sideloading on iPhones

If app developers could still make their apps available to iPhone users without needing to be in the App Store, they could effectively save the 15 to 30 percent fee that the company charges. In fact, these steep prices and a strong control on the app marketplace are believed to be the reasons behind Apple potentially agreeing to this move.

The European Union's Digital Markets Act (DMA) went into effect on November 1, 2022, and it had a specific rule that affects how Apple runs its App Store. The rule essentially requires "gatekeeper" companies to open up their services and platforms to other companies and developers.

This can have serious consequences on Apple's platforms as well as the current state of its existing services including App Store, iMessage, FaceTime, Siri, and others. This is why Apple is probably complying with the regulation and opening to sideloading, explained Gurman.

However, we have to wait and see whether Apple will add some loopholes in order to create more barriers for third-party app developers.

It should also be noted that this leak has not come from any official sources, and as such, take the information with a healthy bit of skepticism. To know whether iOS 17 really brings this feature, you will have to wait till the official unveiling at the WWDC 2023.