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Apple just kicked Fortnite off the App Store

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1704 points ardit33 | 6 comments | 13 Aug 20 19:03 UTC | HN request time: 0.812s | source | bottom
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vortico ◴[13 Aug 20 22:33 UTC] No.24150403[source]▶
I'm a software developer considering releasing a mobile version of my software. Is there a way to completely bypass the iOS app store and allow users to download and install iOS apps from Safari? I hear stories like this all the time and don't want to touch the App Store one bit.

Can this be done with Android? Perhaps I could release for Android-only and allow the app to be downloaded with Chrome.

replies(2): >>24150483 #>>24150488 #
1. hu3 ◴[13 Aug 20 22:40 UTC] No.24150488[source]▶
Android's let's you download the app from any website. No questions asked. And the app can charge you without giving Google a single dime.

For example I can go to itch.io and download this game directly to my phone: https://majorariatto.itch.io/pureya

replies(1): >>24150609 #
2. askvictor ◴[13 Aug 20 22:50 UTC] No.24150609[source]▶
Not quite no questions asked - you first need to enable a setting, then get through the warnings. That said, Android comes with an ability to install other _App Stores_
replies(2): >>24151462 #>>24151810 #
3. osn9363739 ◴[13 Aug 20 23:58 UTC] No.24151462[source]▶
Does that setting also stop you from using some apps? such as banking apps etc. I recall something like that.

(sorry, Apple user here)

replies(2): >>24151828 #>>24152106 #
4. hu3 ◴[14 Aug 20 00:39 UTC] No.24151810[source]▶
Well yeah it warns me that applications from other sources can be harmful and points me to the settings that allows me to run it.

Which is fair and reasonable. I wouldn't want my non tech savy parents to run apps by misclicking links. But I do want the freedom to run whatever I feel like on the devices I paid for.

I can't imagine being told what I can and cannot run on my $1400 android device. I'm an adult, thanks for treating me like one.

5. hu3 ◴[14 Aug 20 00:42 UTC] No.24151828{3}[source]▶
I never heard about any type of application being blocked but I also can't imagine banks wanting to distribute their applications outside of the official playstore.
6. askvictor ◴[14 Aug 20 01:23 UTC] No.24152106{3}[source]▶
This setting won't in itself stop you using any apps. But apps can (I think) determine where they were installed from, so a banking app might be able to detect this and bail out.

Google's Android (don't think this is in AOSP; probably tied to Google Play Services) also checks non-play-store apps for malware on your phone, and might reject them if they contain malware.

Some apps also try to detect rooted/jailbroken phones and won't run (or at least give a warning) in that situation.