Are App Store apps more secure than from DMG on the internet? (sh.itjust.works)

submitted 1 month ago by octoffset@sh.itjust.works to c/apple_enthusiast@lemmy.world

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Any devs here? I'm wondering if an app is more secure / has more restrictions if installed through the App Store as opposed to a DMG you download on the internet. I'm mostly concerned with filesystem permissions: the app is RetroArch and it is available on both the iOS and macOS App Store. Is it safer and more private if it's from the App Store? I know Apple's filesystem security policy is around specific folders in Home (Desktop, Downloads, etc.) but do App Store apps get random access to "unprotected" folders in the user's Home folder? Thanks!

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[-] Ghostalmedia@lemmy.world 1 points 1 month ago

Apps in the App Store go through a standard privacy and security review. It’s not perfect, but random downloaded apps don’t go through this process. But if you trust the developer, download away.

In the case of retro arch, AppStore downloads are new for them. Apple previously banned emulators in the App Store.

The developers recently added the AppStore to their offerings and they didn’t take away the ability to download the emulator the old fashioned way.

this post was submitted on 10 Jan 2025

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