Apple Plans To Allow Third Party App Store Alternatives on iPhones

Today, I am going to share a very interesting piece of info with you all the silicon giant, Apple is all set to make a monumental change to the App Store on the iPhones. Due to looming regulations in the European Union, the silicon giant has software engineers and services employees that are working on a project to “allow app store alternatives” on the iPhones and iPads for the very first time. It is expected to launch as soon as iOS 17 next year.

Apple Working On Project Regarding App Store Alternatives

According to the latest reports, Apple will allow outside App Stores on the iPhone for the first time. The silicon giant is reportedly dedicating a “significant amount of resources to the companywide endeavor.” No doubt, it will be a major push to open up key elements of Apple’s platforms. With the all-new changes, customers will be able to ultimately download third-party software to their iPhones and iPads without using the company’s App Store. The point worth mentioning here is that Apple received criticism from some employees regarding this decision. Some engineers, for instance, are viewing this as a “distraction from typical day-to-day development of future features.”

Apple is applying a significant amount of resources to the companywide endeavor. It hasn’t been a popular initiative within Apple, considering that the company has spent years decrying the need for “sideloading” — the process of installing software without using the official App Store. In lobbying against the new European laws, Apple has argued that sideloading could put unsafe apps on consumers’ devices and undermine privacy.

Some engineers working on the plan also see it as distraction from typical day-to-day development of future features, according to the people. The company is aiming for the changes to be ready as part of an update to next year’s iOS 17, which would be in line with requirements.

The project is being spearheaded by Andreas Wendkerw who is a software engineering vice president within Apple. Sources claim that he reports directly to Craig Federighi. In addition to the engineering teams, the Silicon giant’s services team is also involved.

In addition to all this, the company is considering to mandate certain security requirements even if the software is distributed outside its store. These apps are expected to require verification by Apple. Let me tell you that it will be a process that could carry a fee for developers. However, it is still unclear whether the company moves forward with this project or not.

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