Now that Apple is allowing the installation of third-party app markets with the release of iOS 17.4, iPhone owners in the EU have a new option when it comes to downloading and installing their apps. The whole process is still somewhat shrouded in mystery as companies and developers work to prepare their app marketplaces, but a new report has shed new light on what actually goes into installing one — and it turns out the process is a little more complicated than you might think.
Until now, Apple has come under scrutiny for the way it has chosen to comply with the European Union’s Digital Markets Act. It’s this act that forced Apple to allow the installation of third-party app markets, and while they don’t require sideloading as such, those markets are far from the walled garden of the App Store. Apple has also since confirmed that it will allow app developers to offer downloadable apps through its websites as well.
But before people can install apps from the new app market, they must first install the market itself. And a new report suggests the process is a bit of a farce.
12 screen interactions
The Verge was able to try out the new app market to see how things work, and it makes for eye-opening reading. The app store in question was Mobivention, an enterprise-focused marketplace that allows businesses to distribute their own apps internally. None of that really matters because all app markets will install the same way. What’s really important is the note in the report that installing the marketplace required “about a dozen screen interactions.”
“It goes like this: You start by clicking on a browser-based link to load an alternative store. From there, you get a pop-up informing you that your installation settings don’t allow that developer’s marketplaces,” The Verge explains when detailing the process. “Then you go to Settings, enable the marketplace, go back to your browser, click the download link again, and get another prompt asking you to confirm the installation.” From here, the app market is ready to go and people can download the apps that it offers as desired.
Fortunately, installing those apps seems to be easier, and anyone who’s used the App Store should feel right at home – tap the button that says “Install” and the installation begins. However, in the case of AltStore, users will have to add sources for some apps, which is a bit like the old days of Cydia jailbreaking.
“AltStore allows you to add ‘sources,’ which are URLs shared by developers that contain JSON files containing app metadata,” The Verge explains. “Once these sources are added, the apps they point to can be downloaded from the AltStore.”
Being able to install apps that wouldn’t otherwise be allowed in the App Store could be worth the hassle, but it remains to be seen how popular these app markets will prove to be. If that means Fortnite is coming back to iPhone, that’s one thing. But nondescript third-party marketplaces can be another matter entirely.
In reality, letting people download apps from the developer’s website might be the biggest new addition here, but then again, it’s so early in this new world of apps that we might not know how it all shakes out for a while.