According to one, Apple has Report by 9to5Mac built a new system called Countryd into iOS 16 to restrict certain features based on users’ location.
According to the report, Countryd combines various data such as GPS location, Wi-Fi router country code and SIM card information to determine the country users are in. The purpose of the system is to set the restrictions put in place by government regulators, making it difficult for users to circumvent them.
Countryd is important given Apple’s plans to allow sideloading on iOS for the first time, under pressure from the European Union. Sideloading is the installation of third-party apps through routes other than the official app store.
The new system allows Apple to determine if a device is being used in an EU country to allow sideloading. However, this feature may not be available outside of Europe unless other countries force Apple to do so.
It remains unclear if and how Apple will announce sideloading as a new iOS feature. The company is expected to unveil iOS 17 and other new versions of its operating system at WWDC 2023 in June.