Sideloading is often used in the context of mobile apps, to mean installing apps from channels outside of the official app stores (e.g. the App Store and Google Play Store). Downloading an app directly from a game’s website, messaging platform, or from a third-party app store are all forms of sideloading.
In some regions it’s always been common practice for users to share APKs (a type of Android app file) with their friends on social media - like over WhatsApp in India and over WeChat in China. However, sideloading is now becoming a popular topic in the West, too: major anti-competition regulations in the US and Europe are opening up new ways for developers to distribute their games beyond the official app stores.
How sideloading works
Sideloading requires users to manually install an app onto their devices, which can look different depending on the operating system they’re using. Android users, for example, have a pretty open ecosystem - their phones already have the ability to download an APK, or application package. All they need to do to start sideloading from an app store or game’s D2C website is head to their security settings and enable downloads from “unknown sources”.
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Apple users, meanwhile, don’t have it as easy because apps must have a developer certificate before installation. As a result, iOS device owners often use third-party sideloading software like AltStore or Sideloadly that sign the app with a developer certificate so it can be downloaded. Or, they need to “jailbreak” their devices to be able to install from third-party app stores. That’s changing in Europe thanks to the Digital Markets Act (DMA) - which we’ll get into next.
Is sideloading legal?
Yes, sideloading is a legal activity. The main reason why Google and Apple have made it difficult to sideload has more to do with security and malware risks of some sideloaded apps. But recent anti-competition regulations and lawsuits are forcing the main app stores to change their policies towards sideloading and make it accessible across devices. Let’s break these down further:
Digital Markets Act (DMA)
The DMA is a groundbreaking piece of antitrust legislation that was passed in the European Union in 2022. Among the extensive topics covered in the law, Article 6.4 provides specific language about sideloading:
“The gatekeeper shall allow and technically enable the installation and effective use of third-party software applications or software application stores using, or interoperating with, its operating system and allow those software applications or software application stores to be accessed by means other than the relevant core platform services of that gatekeeper.”
Since enforcement began on March 7, 2024, Apple and Google have both introduced updates to their EU app store policies, including specific action regarding sideloading:
- Apple: In the face of huge DMA fines, Apple officially allowed sideloading on iOS devices in Europe. When iOS 17.4 rolled out in March, users could download third-party app stores (approved by Apple) and begin sideloading apps from these storefronts and websites onto their devices. For developers, if they choose to only distribute through an alternative app marketplace and not on the App Store, they can bypass Apple’s 30% commission fee
- Google: Google already allowed sideloading on Android devices, so there weren’t massive changes they needed to make in the wake of DMA enforcement. That said, they did reference the Android 14 updates they rolled out in 2023 that made sideloading and updating these third-party apps even easier
“Android users have always been free to download third-party apps and app stores to their devices, and third-party apps and app stores can be preinstalled on Android devices through agreements with Android manufacturers.”
After the DMA rolled out and Apple allowed sideloading on the App Store in the EU, Epic immediately took advantage of the ruling: they announced that they would launch the Epic Games Store on iOS in the EU and re-release Fortnite to these users (in the US, the game continues to be unavailable on iOS thanks to the lawsuit)
Epic Games vs Apple, Google, and Samsung
In the US, Epic Games has a long history of litigation against the major app stores - and one of the key arguments in these lawsuits is about sideloading. It all started back in 2020, when Epic released a version of Fortnite on the App Store and Play Store that bypassed Google and Apple’s billing systems to let players purchase directly from Epic. Then they also announced they would distribute the game directly on their own website (aka sideloading) instead. Both app stores responded by pulling Fortnite from their platforms - which soon led to the start of the Epic v Google and Apple v Epic lawsuits.
In the Apple case, Epic claimed that the platform used anti-competitive practices to maintain a monopoly. And one of the main arguments for this was that the company prevented sideloading. In Epic v Google, the argument was slightly different because technically Google allowed sideloading on Android devices. But Epic presented evidence that Google was restricting sideloading by cutting deals with developers (e.g. Project Hug) for exclusive distribution on the Play Store and preventing them from opening or using competing app stores.
In the original decision of the Apple v Epic case, the judge ruled that Apple’s anti-steering policies were unlawful and required Apple to allow external links to alternative payment options. Since the Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal from either side in January 2024, this original decision still stands. But Apple’s new link-out policy in the US didn’t sit well with Epic - they filed another suit in March 2024 against the platform, which led to an evidentiary hearing in May. During the hearing, the judge seemed skeptical of Apple’s compliance and could rule that the link-out policy isn’t sufficient. Though this only applies to external linking and alternative payments right now, it could open the door in the future for sideloading on iOS devices in the US.
“I can’t imagine a logical reason why Apple would demand that of competitor apps. What’s a logical competitive reason, not for suggesting it, but demanding it? ... Other than to stifle competition, I see no other answer.” - Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers
The Epic v Google case, on the other hand, reached a final verdict on August 8, 2024. For the next three years, Google needs to improve sideloading accessibility by giving third-party app stores access to the entire Play Store catalog and end the exclusivity deals they struck with developers. In the same announcement that Epic made about its app store and Fortnite on iOS, they also declared they’d be launching the Epic Games Store worldwide on Android in the wake of this victory with Google in the US.
But that’s not the end of the Epic sideloading legal saga. In early October 2024, the developer filed a lawsuit against Samsung and Google because they believed the OEM and platform were illegally preventing sideloading on Samsung devices. Their claim was that Samsung’s Auto-Blocker feature makes the Play Store the de-facto app store across Samsung devices and prevents competition by making it extremely difficult for users to install third-party apps.
“We are filing a court case against Google and Samsung over coordinated efforts to block competition in app distribution on Samsung devices with Samsung’s default-on Auto Blocker feature. Auto Blocker is the latest in a long series of dealings in which Google and Samsung have agreed not to compete to protect Google’s monopoly power.”
We’re still waiting to see the decision on the Samsung/Google case, but it’s clear that Epic isn’t waiting to move forward with launching their store - and encouraging players to sideload.
What are the benefits of sideloading?
Sideloading isn’t a new phenomenon, and there are many established third-party app stores and D2C providers that help developers reach highly engaged users for low or zero commission fees. Some of the benefits of sideloading for game developers include:
- Bypass 30% commission fees: Apple and Google both command heavy fees for distributing on their storefronts - at least 30% on in-app purchases. But alternative storefronts offer reduced commission fees (like the Epic Games Store’s 12% or the Microsoft Store’s 15% for apps and 12% for games). And making your game available for sideloading through your own website comes with no fees at all
- Access a niche user base: Third-party app stores have built up reputations with specific user bases, whether that’s reaching users in a specific region like China’s Tencent Appstore, those interested in certain genres like the indie darling storefront Itch.io, or ones using particular devices, like Sidequest for Oculus Quest VR headset. Since these stores have a niche audience that’s likely to be highly engaged, discovery is far easier than on the official app stores.
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- Avoid restrictive content rules: Apple and Google have strict content rules that sideloading lets you bypass. Among Apple’s long list of guidelines, for example, is a “store within a store rule” that prevents developers from offering other games in a storefront-like format within their app
- Create a direct relationship with users: For studios like Epic that offered their game for sideloading directly through their website, they enjoyed the benefits of a direct-to-consumer (D2C) channel, like getting access to valuable user data like email addresses for retargeting campaigns. It’s similar to how PC studios use a proprietary launcher - like Riot Games - to own the distribution of their games and directly engage with players
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How to monetize sideloaded apps
Getting users to install your sideloaded app is just the first step - to make the most out of sideloading and its added value as a direct-to-consumer channel, you need an effective strategy in place for monetizing these new users.
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To do that, you have a few choices:
- Monetize the in-game store with an alternative payment solution that’s not Google Play Billing or Apple IAP - for example, Stripe and Checkout.com
- Build a web shop that gives high-value, niche users a personalized experience and creates the best way to pay
- Use both of the above strategies together
To learn more about maximizing revenue with D2C channels and launching your own web shop, get in touch with Stash.