this post was submitted on 26 Aug 2025
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Apple requires some developer credentials and notarization for sideloading apps, to prevent known malware. What is the problem with this?
Edit: everyone this is an honest question.
People use Android to not have such restrictions.
Something like F-Droid (which published its own builds from source) would likely not be possible with such a model.
It's certainly one of the main reasons I moved.
Apple method is terrible too and had to be forced by the EU to allow sideloading so tried to make it as restrictive as possible within the rules. And don't think they bothered to support it outside the EU. So Apple is not the one to use as a defense of restrictions to installation of software om Android.
And I fear malware more from Google Play than F-droid with how they just allow anything and millions of installs give people a false sense of security until it's later revealed it was a malware app. So no I don't buy this security bullshit.
It's about control and data harvesting.
Another honest question:
Why wouldn't the EU force Android to allow sideloading apps just as they've done with apple?
Issue is that I believe even in the EU Apple is in a position where devs have to be verified by Apple to be allowed to sideload.
So it's not a problem of if sideloading is possible, but that devs need to hand over sensitive personal information to Google to be verified to be able to offer side-loaded apps on Android. So Google is positioning themselves to fully control app installs even for non Google play apps by holding the ability to deny.
So Google is now looking to emulate the terrible sideloading state of Apple by regressing to more control by them.
We just hope they do force Android to allow sideloading. However, I wouldn't expect them to do so, given their latest decisions...
First, we don't have this in Android and we're better off.
It's another flavour of gatekeeping.
Second, why do we want to copy apple?
Nope
Do you think Google won't revoke the signature for apps like revanced or newpipe or send a c&d to the now doxxed devs?
Main reason apple did that is to limit piracy, nsfw apps and track how many installs so they can still bill the developer for that
"North Korea does [X], what's the problem with [USA/UK/EU] doing [X]?"