iOS 17.4 official announcement: the era of Apple’s open sideloading is here

Apple has officially announced that iOS 17.4 will go live in March.

The biggest change in this version is the support for side-loading, a feature that is limited to the European Union, covering iPhone users in 27 countries or regions in the EU.

It is reported that iOS 17.4 sideloading contains three major changes, one is that Apple allows users to download apps in third-party app stores; the second is that third-party browsers can use web engines other than Apple WebKit on the iPhone; and the third is that third-party wallet apps can access the iPhone's NFC chip, thus enabling contactless mobile payments.

Apple cautions that the sideloading feature creates new risks for Apple users and their devices, and that Apple cannot eliminate these risks, only reduce them to a limited extent.

In response to sideloading, Apple CEO Tim Cook has spoken out against it, with Cook stating in interviews that users who wish to sideload their apps should consider purchasing an Android device, as the iPhone offers an experience that maximizes their security and privacy.