[NoPicklez]

I disagree.

It's a term simply used to describe installing software not through the official channels.

You'd be lying if you said it was normal practice sideloading applications to your mobile phone. The majority of people are used to installing apps through their respective platform stores. Which is why there is a term to name that practice outside of installing apps through the Google play store, for example.

We don't use that term on PC because it is the normal practice and our norms have evolved around that. Over time if sideloading becomes normal practice, we will stop calling it that and start calling it installing or downloading like we do normally.

[fishgoesblub]

There is no "official channels" on systems that allow installing software packages. Android for example, has no "official" channel because all stores just download and install APKs, like the Play Store, and FDroid. The same way you can go to a Github page and download an APK through your browser and install it. The only "official channel" I would say is the system APK installer.

[NoPicklez]

But to do that on many Android devices you need to specifically enable that in the settings. You have enable installing what Android calls "unknown" apps.

I don't really care about the technicalities of it. The point still stands that sideloading is a term referring to installing software outside of the vendors preferred method.

It doesn't mean its bad, its just the term used on devices like mobile phone where the installing of software has been traditionally more locked down to specific shopfronts.

The term being born more so out of Apple than Android to begin with.