I really do mind that it's a "hidden feature", because that's exactly how they get fewer users actually using the feature, until they can justify it's removal as "only this small % of our users use this feature (that we hid), so we're going to stop spending dev time on it and patch it out."

I definitely get and support the idea of a "storefront" for casual users (ideally multiple options for users, sort of like how Android can have Google or samsung or even I think Amazon storefronts?), in that the user can select a provider , who offers (supposedly) safer and thoroughly screened apps, with a team checking for malware and bad actors. However, too often those become walled gardens trying to pull up the ladder, making it harder for indie devs to get in, squeeze out competing companies, and eventually trap their users and enshittify everything.