Multiple app stores give me headaches that I don’t need

iPad and iPhone users in the European Union can now download apps from other app stores, and I have mixed feelings. Part of me is excited – bring down the monopolies! Another part of me, the part that likes convenience, can’t help but think about how many app stores will make my life more difficult.

Individual app stores are going out of fashion

Since the release of the first iPhones, there has only been one official way to download apps to Apple devices, and that’s through the App Store. That’s how it was, and if you didn’t like it, too bad. Switch to Android.

But recently the status quo has changed and now in the European Union (EU) you can get your apps through third-party alternatives like AltStore Pal, SetApp Mobile and the Epic Games Store.

The reason for this change is a new law called the Digital Markets Act (DMA). The DMA targets big tech companies, or “gatekeepers” as it calls them, and imposes strict requirements on them to prevent anti-competitive behavior. Apple is one such gatekeeper, and regulations force the company to allow users to install third-party app stores.

In the United States (US), the App Store is still king, but its reign may be coming to an end here too. We have seen early signs of this earlier in history Epic vs Apple case and now with the Justice Department’s new case against Apple. It could only be a matter of time before the US moves away from the EU’s playbook.

More competition is good

Objectively speaking, more app stores are a good thing. This means we don’t have to adopt and accept Apple’s restrictive policies around things like JITs and emulators. Instead, we can easily get around it by downloading the apps and retro emulators we want from another app store.

More app stores could also make in-app purchases cheaper. Apple currently charges a 30% commission on all in-app purchases and this cost is passed on to you as the end user. Multiple app stores could lead to more competition, lower fees and cheaper in-app purchases.

Multiple app stores could mean the end of simplicity

But even with all the potential benefits of multiple app stores, I have to worry that they’ll make things unnecessarily complicated if they become a reality. Sure, the App Store is a monopoly, but it’s also a convenient one-stop shop for all of my apps. It’s simple and it works. That’s why I like it.

The introduction of multiple app stores destroys this simplicity. If my fears prove true, each store will have its own rules, meaning some apps may be available in one store but not in another.

Then there is the problem of exclusivity. Developers like Epic that have their own app stores can make their apps exclusive and force you to download their store just to access those apps. And this isn’t just a hypothesis, it’s already happening.

In the EU, Rocket Sideswipe, a game from Epic, has been removed from the App Store and is now only available through the Epic Game Store and the Alt Pal Store. Given the ongoing feud between Epic and Apple, this is likely just the beginning.

All the navigation to figure out which store offers which app might be a minor inconvenience for you, but imagine how frustrating it would be for someone less tech-savvy. Imagine trying to walk them through the installation process of an exclusive app like Rocket Sideswipe over the phone. Just thinking about it is exhausting.

Multiple app stores could have a negative impact on security

One of Apple’s main arguments against alternative app stores on iOS was that they would weaken security. And while I fundamentally disagree with Apple’s restrictive policies, I have to admit: you’re right.

I’ve lost count of how many times my family members with Android phones have accidentally downloaded malware, scam apps, or other junk from the internet. That’s why I prefer my family to use iPhones despite all the rules because then I don’t have to worry about them falling for such things.

However, when sideloading third-party app stores becomes an issue, that layer of protection is gone and so is my security.

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I would really love the idea of ​​decentralized app stores, but at the moment I just don’t see how that could work without us losing out somehow. Maybe things would be different if the big tech companies were willing to work together, but considering how hostile they’ve been towards each other lately, I wouldn’t hope for that to happen any time soon.