Native Apps Are Not The Problem

Terry Godier, on the back of a recent app store rejection, wrote a very thougth-provoking post:

On the web, if I build something that works within the standards, it works. Whether people use it is up to them. On iOS, there is another question entirely: whether Apple decides it should exist.

This was followed shortly after by post from John Gruber about app store delays. Turns out tools that make app development easier results in more apps being developed, and Apple, naturally, wants to keep the spam out. Apparently their definition of “spam” changes with the wind direction and ambient temperature, and unfortunately, Godier’s app got caught in the trap.

There’s nothing wrong with native mobile apps¹, or even app stores (common noun) for distribution. The issue is, and always has be, that those running the stores attempt the keep it the only form of app distribution. But it’s clearly not working. Does Apple think they would be snowed under a massive backlog of app reviews if they just allowed side-loading? Are they happy with the set of apps they offer in the app store? Because I’ve got news for them: their app store is not a pleasant place to spend time in. Maybe it was back in the day, when fewer apps were around, but those days are behind us. These days, I prefer to learn about new apps directly from the developer, and whenever they post a link to their webpage or app store listing, I jump on it, lest I be inundated with apps for tattoo generators when I’m trying to get an RSS reader.

It’s a little better for Android, in that side-loading is still kinda sorta supported. I count my blessings every day that I’m able to vibe-code a mobile app, kick off a build, and be able to download and install in on my phone a few minutes later. It’s a great tradeoff: I can have the apps I want without junking up the Play Store with apps that are definitely not designed for wide distribution. That’s one less app browsers of the Play Store will need to skip over to get to what they want.²

So I would simply make this appeal to Apple and Google: open the back doors, and make your app stores worth visiting. Allow anyone to enable side-loading, which will relieve pressure on having the need to host every app out there. By all means lock down side-loading it to make it safe for users. Requiring that I enable developer mode on the phone is perfectively fine with me.

At the same time, make the app store the crème de al crème, where only the best apps are showcased. Have reviewers actually spend time reviewing apps that submitted by those that put the effort in. You fear the loss that comes from the Epics of the world moving away? Let them. Have them tell their customers the hoops they need to jump through to install their games. But I suspect that with a nice enough app store, they would want to stay. I would imagine the aura of being associated with other quality apps would be appealing.

We’re not going back to a world where app development is scarce (if such a world ever existed). App development is just going to get easier from here on out. It’s high time for the app stores to evolve with the times.