The world is right, it’s time to make sideloading apps the norm on your phone – Charm

Summary

Apple and Google continue to resist opening up app installs, despite losing some key related legal battles.
Exclusivity might’ve been beneficial early on, but not in a mature industry with improved privacy and security measures.
It’s a bit hypocritical to take a moral high ground on many issues, yet block sideloading and/or third-party app stores.

For some time now, Apple and Google have been fighting a war against opening up app distribution in the European Union — and losing. While EU residents do still have to turn to the Apple App Store and Google Play Store for most software, they also have the ability to shop from third-party storefronts like the Epic Games Store. iPhone and iPad owners can even grab apps from the web now, something that was once reserved for Android or jailbreaking.

A Brazilian court recently ordered Apple to make the same changes locally, with the judge arguing (via Valor) that “Apple has already complied with similar obligations in other countries without demonstrating significant impact or irreparable harm to its economic model.” The company is planning to appeal, but the writing is on the wall — it’s hard to justify store exclusivity anymore. Indeed, everyone should be able to load whatever apps they want, from wherever they choose.

Apple should just bite the bullet and make its own Kindle-like e-reader

It would give two of Apple’s services a lot more raison d’etre.

The early days versus the present reality

A rationale that no longer holds up

Apple

Apple and Google’s arguments have typically boiled down to three issues: privacy, security, and fostering innovation. In the early days of mobile apps, those points held water. A lot of privacy and security issues were unknown, unaddressed, or both, and centralized screening processes made it more likely that those vulnerabilities would be caught and eliminated. It also took a while for the app market to grow, so exclusive app stores helped with billing, marketing, and hosting issues.

At this stage, users should rationally expect the same level of built-in malware protection available on macOS and Windows.

Some of those benefits still apply, but the industry is mature now. Chances are you don’t need Apple or Google to recommend apps to download, and there are plenty of billing and hosting options out there. Privacy and security are legitimate concerns — certainly, I trust Apple with my privacy more than Epic — but iOS and Android have gradually toughened up their defenses, and at this stage, users should rationally expect the same level of built-in malware protection available on macOS and Windows, which let you manually authorize third-party app sources while scanning for potential threats. It’s on Apple and Google if they haven’t updated their mobile platforms to be as flexible.

Given that the European app market hasn’t descended into a hellscape, the real motivation for Apple and Google’s positions has become obvious: revenue. The companies claim between 15 to 30 percent from each app transaction, which amounts to a pretty large revenue flow on an annual basis. In Q2 2024 alone, the Apple App Store generated about $24.6 billion worldwide, according to Statista data. The Google Play Store is said to have generated less than half that, but even $12.3 billion is a fantastic sum of money — Google executives would be ecstatic if Nest devices were bringing in that much.

Do you really need to worry about spyware on your phone?

It’s a matter of where you live, what you do, and what your security habits are like.

Fairness and freedom

Put your money where your mouth is

Apple

While Google has long since dropped its “don’t be evil” motto, both it and Apple have continued to claim a moral high ground in many areas, such as freedom, diversity, and environmental protection. Often it’s about marketing rather than genuine conviction, but regardless, the companies do want to be taken seriously.

If so, it’s hard to see how they can keep defending their app stores forever. Their arguments are failing legal tests, never mind the court of public opinion, where people will naturally side with having more options, no matter whether they use them that often. Imagine if Windows PCs suddenly forced you to download everything from the Microsoft Store — there would be a major outcry, and rightfully, since a lot of users count on being able to get apps how and when they need them. Whole ecosystems would shrink or cease to exist, such as GitHub, and it’s hard to imagine firms like Adobe being happy with sharing a large percentage of their annual income.

It’s hard to see how Apple and Google can keep defending their app stores forever.

Speaking of which, Apple and Google’s revenue splits are actively deterring better apps from appearing. Consider mobile games — while there are some high-quality titles, many of them are low-effort affairs, relying on ads and/or a steady stream of microtransactions to generate money. It’s difficult for better game developers to turn a profit, since most customers aren’t willing to pay as much for mobile games as they are console and PC titles, and Apple and Google claim a huge chunk of any upfront sales. As things are, you’ll never see something as elaborate as Elden Ring or Resident Evil launch as a mobile exclusive.

Is Tesla circling the drain, or will the EV brand bounce back?

Tesla has been in the hot seat in recent days, owing in part to various Elon Musk-related controversies.

Is there hope of opening up app distribution worldwide?

The long wait ahead

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I think so, but don’t expect a resolution anytime soon. Apple and Google are going to continue fighting the opening of their platforms as much as possible, and these sorts of legal battles can take years to settle down, even when they don’t reach the level of a Supreme Court. The US, of course, is now under the sway of the Trump administration, which may not be entirely cozy with Apple and Google, but is decidedly more corporate-friendly. It’s even backing off of Biden-era demands that Google divest its AI interests, as Yahoo reports.

We may have to wait for some sort of breaking point, perhaps where maintaining two separate app store philosophies becomes impractical, or else outright ugly from a public relations perspective. If and when that comes, it’ll probably take us all by surprise.