Rumors of app sideloading feature in iOS 17 to be limited to Europe only

Rumors about the possibility of iOS 17 allowing app sideloading continue to spread, but the latest round of speculation comes with a significant caveat. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, who recently appeared on a MacRumors podcast, the feature will reportedly only be available in Europe, and won't be coming to the United States.

For those unfamiliar with the term, app sideloading refers to the practice of installing apps from outside of an official app store. This is something that is already possible on macOS, for example, and is relatively easy to do on Android devices. However, Apple has long maintained that iPhones and iPads should be restricted to approved apps only, citing security and reliability concerns.

The potential for app sideloading on iOS has been a hot topic among tech enthusiasts for some time now, with many arguing that it would give users more freedom and flexibility to install the apps they want. However, Apple has been resistant to the idea, and it remains to be seen whether the rumors about iOS 17 are true.

If the rumors do turn out to be accurate, it's unclear why app sideloading would be limited to Europe. It's possible that this decision could be related to regulatory issues or legal considerations specific to the region. Alternatively, it could simply be a test run to see how users respond to the feature before potentially rolling it out more widely.

Regardless of the reasons behind the rumored limitations, many Apple fans in the US may be disappointed to hear that they could be missing out on the ability to sideload apps on their devices. However, it's worth noting that these rumors are still unconfirmed, and Apple has not made any official statement on the matter. As always, it's best to take these reports with a grain of salt until we have more concrete information.