[Andrew_nenakhov]

Not really. You also need a computer running XCode (i.e. a mac), you'll need to follow the instructions out of 9 rather not obvious pounts and you'll also need to build be app you want to install.

Oh, and of course you won't be able to use push notifications, because Apple.

[simonklitj]

Not true anymore! You can sideload .ipa's using AltStore without Xcode and without the source code.

[oauea]

How? There must be some restrictions or this would be HUGE news and Epic would rejoice.

edit: the apps expire after 1 week and need to be constantly reinstalled. This is abusing an exploit in apple's walled garden that will surely be "fixed".

[simonklitj]

They’re not abusing an exploit. You might be able to argue that they’re abusing a policy.

The fact is that you are allowed to sign apps with a free dev account, the cert will just expire after a week.

AltStore’s been around since 2019, so they’ve had ample time to “fix” it.

Edit: they do not need to be reinstalled. With AltStore the cert update is automatic and wireless (your computer handles it and sends the updated cert to your phone). You will never notice their expiration, and never need to reinstall, unless you’re away from your computer for more than a week.

[oauea]

Yeah, I don't think I'm going to be able to explain all that to my users. Some of them don't even have a computer.

[mehrdada]

You are changing the goalposts here. You don’t just want sideloading. You also want an easy way to do that at scale. However that’s not an obviously beneficial trade-off for the average user.

The point is as the device owner you have the ability to run code on your own device outside App Store without paying Apple. To be able to effectively distribute such code to the average iOS user who may not understand how to deploy unsigned app and the potential implications of it is a different story and one that you could argue is designed to protect the layperson against themselves (contrast this with users running random .exe from emails on Windows).