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Stub article but on the main topic of Apple sideloading, I am of two minds.

I really dislike the lack of control from apple, but iPhone is a locked down special purpose computer with ALL my data. The worry is that all the apps we "need to have" for work or social things: YT, FB, Google will immediately pull their apps from the app store to get around Apple's privacy and security permissions which allow granular control. Market power of FB will just force users out of the app store and run a huge blackbox data vacuum.

So IDK exactly where I am on this issue. I could live without using FB marketplace obviously, but I have apps that are convenient to use occasionally from companies I dont really trust because I can at least control some of their data access.

Why would they when they haven't done so on android ? You have what, 2 apps that have done so, one not even fully (kindle) just removing the in app sales if installed from the store, and the other one (Fortnite) not because it makes sense for immediate sales but as a point for their lawsuit.

That's the argument I never understood about "I like the walled garden", people who want opening like I do are not against it, nor against a controller, they're against a closed down device you don't control at all, and using it to abuse your position (which I consider forcing your own payment gateway only to be).

Apple is free to still offer its own environment, they will do so, and it will remain the main (by far) choice of most users, as experience as shown. Just like Windows N was about to force Microsoft to decouple its OS, not do make people actively use the version without media player or internet explorer.

There's such a chicken little 'the sky is falling' mentality about the walled gardeners. This is a particularly weird & egregious bundle of Fear Uncertainty and Doubt this time:

> will immediately pull their apps from the app store to get around Apple's privacy and security permissions which allow granular control

Permissions work fine on Android, no matter where the code is downloaded from. There's some minor variances (the beloved termux for example can't meet app store requirements) but sandboxing is still intact too.

The platform itself maintains a lot of protections, regardless of how apps are loaded.

How do permissions work on Android? I can allow permission to select photos or all photos on Apple. Location while using the app, all the time and never.

I am genuinely asking this question. I can imagine FB would love access to all my comtacts, photos, location etc. Idk how it works on Android and if this occurs?

These are API level security features. Apple is conflating these two issues for their benefit.

iOS is an incredibly secure platform mostly due to OS level security and carefully considered privacy in iOS libraries. Much of the benefit of the App Store is reducing spam and some data tracking, in addition to developer level features for IAP, subscriptions, and marketing.

I do appreciate much of what the App Store offers but has been exceedingly slow to update the review system, which has plagued developers for over a decade with inconsistencies and poor communication. I'm hopeful the increased competition will encourage some improvements on that front.

Unless they really break it on purpose, you would have the same permission choice when installing from third party sources.

On android, the permission needed in the store doesn't mean I can't revoke any of them after the fact, or revoke one and not the other, and if an app install from outside sources they still need the permission request to be granted.

Also on android permissions are not requested at install time but when actually needed. Not sure if ios does the same. So regardless where an app is installed from (or sideloaded etc) the moment it will require access to photos an OS popup shows up asking for permission for this time only or always.
Also, every company is going to want to have it's own store. This will be insanely annoying if every big company wants to provide its own store, own payments, own app that bypasses all Apple privacy and security permissions.

Ideally, Apple would still protect users with permissions and strengthen security. Maybe adding a data vault so users can still have control. I an cynical that they will allow users to get powned bigtime so they can point to this as justification.

This is not necessarily true. Google has allowed stores and sideloading on Android forever. E.g. Fortnite from Epic uses this, as well DJI drone piloting software. Play Store still has massive distribution and apps seek to be there unless there are revenue sharing issues.

Most apps would list on Play store if rated are competitive.

Amazon has its own store, Samsung has its own store but still all the apps are on playstore as well. Seems like this fear that the app ecosystem will be fragmented is not going to come true based on experience from android. Ironically the store which has most apps that don't exist on playstore is fdroid.