Why is custom content not supported on mobile?

Hi everyone,

I've been browsing the forum trying to understand why it's not possible to add custom content to the mobile version of Aerofly FS, but I haven’t been able to find a clear explanation so far.

I’m aware that the PC version fully supports custom content like aircraft and sceneries, which is fantastic. However, I mainly play Aerofly FS on my phone, and I often find myself missing certain airports, or noticing inaccuracies in existing ones. Sometimes, I even get ideas to experiment with the SDK — for example, creating a simple glider or modifying scenery.

It would be amazing if there were some sort of add-on system or a way to import custom content directly into the mobile version, even in a limited form.

So, here’s my main question:
Why doesn’t the mobile version support custom content?

Is it due to performance limitations?
Is it because of differences in file formats or how mobile apps are packaged (like .exe for PC vs. .apk for Android)?
Or are there other technical or platform restrictions that make this difficult?

I’d love to hear from the developers or anyone who has insight into this. Thanks in advance!

Quote from Jet-Pack (IPACS)

When we update the app then outdated custom content can cause crashes that we cannot replicate at all and which lowers the app scoring by Google and Apple. This causes the app visibility to drop in the app stores which directly lowers sales.

Other technical restrictions are the closed architecture of app files and app data. You do not want any party app to be able to browse through the data of another app. Our aircraft updating process also just compares the file size to the file size on the server. So when you manually change things Aerofly FS just assumes that you don't have the current version installed and shows the download button when trying to load the aircraft.

Ah, I see. Thanks for the clear explanation!

That makes total sense, especially regarding app stability and how it affects visibility and ratings in the app stores. I hadn’t considered that outdated or broken custom content could cause crashes that are hard to trace on your end.

Just as a thought:

Would it be possible in the future to support user content through a cloud-based system or in-game upload interface? That way, users wouldn’t need direct access to app files, and the game could still validate and manage custom content safely; maybe with restrictions or moderation.

Some other mobile games allow users to upload custom liveries through a simple in-app UI or account-linked cloud system.

If that’s not feasible, I totally understand. And I guess I’ll just have to switch to PC then 🙃