With Apple, you have no proper way running an app without Apple. So it'll intriguing to see such act within a platform that is truly locked.
If Tinder requested this update be sent to Apple users than the review process would reject the update. The Play Store doesn't put a person in the app update loop.
It's a distro, you can still install extra stuff
That's how developers install their own apps in development, prior submitting the app to Apple for a review.
There are enterprise distribution certificates that don't have these restrictions, but using them to distribute apps outside of the company will end up getting it revoked. (Like what happened with Facebook)
As for the distribution, you can distribute your App open-source and let your users compile and install it themselves.
Yes yes, it's not like what we have on the PC's but the situation is definitely not "you cannot install apps that Apple has not approved".
The reality is this: You cannot mass distribute proprietary App's that Apple has not approved.
Because non-technical users will surely do that.
> The reality is this: You cannot mass distribute proprietary App's that Apple has not approved.
I feel this is the only point relevant to this post.
Yes, you can invite your developer friends to try out the app you wrote yourself. But if you actually want to make money from it, you need Apple's approval.