Is sideloading the answer to Apple’s App Store marketplace monopoly?

To the average user on the street, sideloading would not be a ubiquitous term, even though it is something they must have done themselves at some point in time. The origins of the practice is described as the simple process of transferring files between two local devices — whether with a cable or wireless network.

Nowadays, with our modern devices, it is often characterized as the app installation on a mobile device without using the device’s official application distribution method (Apple’s App Store, Android’s Google Store, Microsoft Store, Samsung Galaxy Store, etc). Sideloading has become such an crucial workaround to these limitations that alternative app marketplaces such as AltStore, Sideloadly or Onside.io have been cropping up to fill this need.

In the context of Apple’s iOS apps, however, sideloading has been deliberately made to be as difficult and tedious as possible. Simply put, it is not allowed.

How does sideloading work?

The sideloading process varies from different platforms, depending on how strict the main operating system is. Apple and its devices are notoriously known for making downloading and installing applications from third-party websites or app stores much more difficult. At its height, users had expected to ‘jailbreak’ their devices to enable the process. (Jailbreak is defined as removing the restrictions imposed by the manufacturer. What a choice of words to describe the act!)

Since then, Apple has loosened its grip slightly, but would still require a few extra steps. Firstly, to download an app onto an Apple device, the app would need to be in IPA format. Developers have started doing this through computer programs such as Xcode or Cydia Impactor. Xcode enables developers to code, test and distribute their apps on all Apple platforms, and this has since been adopted into Apple iOS as a trusted integrated development environment for their system.

Alternative app marketplaces such as AltStore, Sideloadly or Onside.io would require the user to install the app on their computer (Mac or Windows are both applicable), connect their computer to the Apple device with iOS, and carry out a few more steps on the device where the user has to explicitly click ‘trust’ the connection and download of the app to the device.

The risks and benefits of sideloading

Of course there are always pros and cons to any attempt to rigmarole a system that is known to be ironclad against practices such as these.

Apple’s steadfast pillar of strength and reasoning for their tight control has always been first and foremost — the privacy and security of its users. This is especially true as they highlight that unofficial sources do not undergo the same rigorous security checks as their own official store. This has always been their fallback excuse, and unfortunately it’s one that is still propping them up for these draconian rules.

Other cons to the practice of sideloading is similar if you were to buy something from another retailer where you are not guaranteed warranty. In this instance, sideloading could mean a lack of updates and support for the user and subsequently any legal or copyright concerns. While all this is a possibility, the solution for this is one where you can also stay up to date to make sure you get these benefits on your own accord. It just would need to be manually applied and diligently updated.

Finally, what is all this for? Sideloading wouldn’t be as popular as it is, if it were not for the fact that strict rules and regulations were impeding both app developers and the end users. It’s often more than just monetary, although it could end up that way eventually. (It often does, with Apple’s new terms with the Digital Markets Act in the EU.)

It’s ultimately for broadening the reach of the app, going beyond the limitations of the operating system allowing for greater independence and flexibility. This can also sometimes include geographical restrictions and the chance to diversify the accessibility of users to an app.

Subsequently, it is cutting out the middle man and engaging directly with users. This could result in cultivating a valuable feedback community for an app, facilitating beta testing, and embedding improvements before launching the app to a wider audience.

If developers can get straight to the point with their users without their reliance on the official operating system’s application store, it is no wonder Apple is scrambling to find some form of compensation to remain relevant and necessary to the wider ecosystem.