this post was submitted on 02 Oct 2025
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Apple has REMOVED the ICEBlock app from the App Store due to “objectionable content.” (bsky.app)
submitted 3 weeks ago by RandAlThor@lemmy.ca to c/technology@lemmy.world
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[–] theunknownmuncher@lemmy.world 140 points 3 weeks ago (5 children)

"Sideloading" is their term, invented to make it sound like something it is not. We should not use this word. The correct word is "installing".

You don't "sideload" on Windows when you install software outside of the Microsoft Store™️. There is no real difference or distinction with software on phones, so there is no need for a special word.

[–] jonne@infosec.pub 45 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

I can see Microsoft moving to the same sort of thinking as well. Apple already made Mac OS users jump through hoops when you want to install something from the internet or even through a third party package manager like homebrew.

[–] Danitos@reddthat.com 41 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Microsoft has been trying this for years already. That eventually led to Valve incresing their efforts in the Linux gaming front and releasing the Steam Deck.

See this

[–] Zink@programming.dev 8 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

I wonder if Valve would ever get into the Linux Phone market.

But for the platform itself to be open, I wonder how much would have to be recreated.

[–] sem@lemmy.blahaj.zone 5 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Does anybody actually enjoy gaming on the phone or just do it because there nothing better to do?

I would perhaps buy a valve phone but I wouldn't want to game on it which sounds weird.

Unless it was like a switch and had detachable joycons.

[–] Zink@programming.dev 3 points 3 weeks ago

Oh same here. I'm hopeful that valve brings us a linux phone, not a gaming phone. I've never really gotten into gaming on mobile either.

However, if they DO make a linux phone, I'm sure it will be Steam branded and have all kinds of gaming-specific tweaks.

But again, to me that just sounds like it will have good hardware specs. So not a problem!

[–] blargh513@sh.itjust.works 11 points 3 weeks ago

Not to defend it, but the first time I encountered the term was when BlackBerry released their Playbook tablet. It ran their bbos10 and they created an android emulator so you could run some android apps. The process of installing the apk into the emulator was called sideloading.

I miss BlackBerry is all I really wanted to say.

[–] Pieplup@lemmy.ml 1 points 3 weeks ago

Windows laready has something like this it's called S mode i think. IT makes it so you can only instlal stuff frmo the windows store, but you can disable it pretty easily.

[–] b_tr3e@feddit.org -3 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

"Install" includes installing from an app store no matter how closed down and exlusive. The correct term would be "install from other sources than an app store" which is just clunky. Calling it "sideloading" won't change that nor will calling it "your mom". Considering how many corporate-speak terms are in use and how many braindead abbreviations and terms shortened to a word's last syllable -completely distorting the original meaning- generally are in use, the term "sideloading" is pretty irrelevant. Either lose your mind listening to the bullshit people permanently are emitting or just live with it...

[–] 0x0@lemmy.zip 10 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

the term “sideloading” is pretty irrelevant.

No, it's not.
"Installing" is innocuous and easily understandable (by those tech-illiterate dumbfucks that get spoonfed FUD by lobbyists); whereas sideloading is eerily similar to sidestepping and is prone to being interpreted as "working around a safeguard".

Words are not irrelevant.

[–] burntbacon@discuss.tchncs.de 5 points 3 weeks ago

Right? Anyone who has been paying attention to the healthcare thing in america should know that what you call something influences immensely what people think about something. Just look at the difference in support in polling when they call it the affordable healthcare act OR obamacare.