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I think one of the reasoning Telegram is giving is good though. If protesters in HK are using Telegram to communicate and Apple removes it from the App Store th

I think one of the reasoning Telegram is giving is good though. If protesters in HK are using Telegram to communicate and Apple removes it from the App Store then they have no recourse of installing it. I guess giving a way like in Android where you hide the setting behind a flag in settings and explicitly keep warning the user when they install an app from outside is a decent middle ground. I am not sure of this but I think recent version of either Android/Pixel do a check on apps even installed from outside for malicious activity.

amoitnga 6y ago
I agree. plus, isnt it the case for Mac? you can install apps from other places.
threeseed 6y ago
If Apple allowed sideloading of apps it would mirror the Mac. Where apps are still approved by Apple in order to be signed. And unsigned apps are by default not allowed to be opened. This would not change the situation in HK where China could simply force Apple not to sign the Telegram app and instead sign their fake Telegram app.
- toyg 6y ago
  You can still run unsigned apps on macOS, either by clicking through pop-ups or (at worst) by disabling Gatekeeper.
  - threeseed 6y ago
    By default to run an unsigned app you need to right-click on the app and select Open. Then it will present a dialog asking whether to ignore the signing. Otherwise there is no option. Very few people know about this.
    - toyg 6y ago
      I know (I've been on mac for more than a decade, arguably as a power-user), and anybody who needs to know can google it in 5 seconds. Also, gatekeeper can be completely disabled from the command line, and then you don't get even that pop-up and you can run stuff unsigned. An arrangement like this would work fine on iOS too. There is no technical motive behind Apple's refusal to allow sideloading. It's simply a monopolistic power-play.
- hu3 6y ago
  Can't you install unsigned apps on macs?

amoitnga 6y ago

I agree. plus, isnt it the case for Mac? you can install apps from other places.

threeseed 6y ago

If Apple allowed sideloading of apps it would mirror the Mac. Where apps are still approved by Apple in order to be signed. And unsigned apps are by default not allowed to be opened. This would not change the situation in HK where China could simply force Apple not to sign the Telegram app and instead sign their fake Telegram app.

toyg 6y ago
You can still run unsigned apps on macOS, either by clicking through pop-ups or (at worst) by disabling Gatekeeper.
- threeseed 6y ago
  By default to run an unsigned app you need to right-click on the app and select Open. Then it will present a dialog asking whether to ignore the signing. Otherwise there is no option. Very few people know about this.
  - toyg 6y ago
    I know (I've been on mac for more than a decade, arguably as a power-user), and anybody who needs to know can google it in 5 seconds. Also, gatekeeper can be completely disabled from the command line, and then you don't get even that pop-up and you can run stuff unsigned. An arrangement like this would work fine on iOS too. There is no technical motive behind Apple's refusal to allow sideloading. It's simply a monopolistic power-play.
hu3 6y ago
Can't you install unsigned apps on macs?