What happened?
Do you want the TL;DR version? The EU Digital Markets Act has forced Apple to make big changes to the way the App Store and iOS work on iPhones in the region. These changes are coming to iOS 17.4 in March, but could have global effects on apps, mobile payments, and more.
Apple's App Store and iPhone apps have remained largely unchanged since they arrived in 2008. The process has been simple; If you discover an app you like, tap the App Store icon on your phone or tablet and download it.
But some new regulations mean that Apple has been forced to open up that system for the first time, at least in the EU. Starting in March, with the release of iOS 17.4, Apple will allow EU residents to download and “download” apps from alternative app stores. And that's just the beginning of some very significant changes for iOS and the App Store.
What does all this mean for the iPhone and your favorite apps? Will Apple bring these changes to other regions? And does it really make iOS less secure? Below, we break down everything you need to know about the many side effects of the EU Digital Markets Act (DMA).
Apple is clearly not happy with the changes it has been forced to make. In its official announcement, Apple said the iOS changes “open new avenues for malware, fraud and scams, illicit and harmful content, and other threats to privacy and security,” which it attempts to mitigate with new protections and safeguards. .
Of course, no one will be forced to use non-Apple app stores or download apps. But if you're interested in exploring the idea and wondering if there's a way to test the new features from outside the EU, here's what it means.
1. The changes will arrive in March, and only in the EU
Third-party app stores and app downloading are coming to EU iPhones in March as part of iOS 17.4. The beta version of iOS 17.4 is now available for developers, but the full version is still a couple of months away.
Those EU-specific changes will only be available in the region's 27 member countries, which do not include the UK. So if you live in the US, UK or Australia, nothing has changed… for now.
However, a bill similar to the EU Digital Markets Act is currently going through the UK parliament. The move is likely to spark debate in other regions as well, as the announcements will give all iPhone users a taste of some changes that could eventually go global, such as the introduction of USB-C on the iPhone 15.
2. It is the beginning of alternative application 'markets'
Apple may be opening the App Store in the EU, but it wants to keep the name to itself. Instead, it calls incoming third-party app stores “alternative app marketplaces.” But whatever the semantics, the reality is the same: starting in March, iPhone users in the EU will be able to download apps from new stores and even set them as their default option in Settings.
We've already seen the first of these app stores make their moves, with AltStore confirming that it plans to become one of the first marketplaces. If approved (Apple will continue to authorize new markets), it will be able to offer apps that do not comply with Apple's App Store guidelines.
Some examples include Delta (a Nintendo game console emulator) and UTM, which is a virtual machine that allows you to run Linux, Windows, and more on iOS. Apple says these new options for developers “create new risks,” but that it includes safeguards in iOS 17.4, including a review process for all apps (regardless of their origin in the App Store) that will be “a combination of checks automated and human review. “.
3. It's great news for gaming on the iPhone.
It's not just iPhone users in the EU who will immediately feel the impact of the changes to Apple's App Store. A big global impact is that Apple is now allowing game streaming services to be available on the App Store around the world. That's great news because they were previously only accessible on iOS through a web browser.
The news opens the doors for services like Xbox Cloud Gaming, GeForce Now and Amazon Luna to be available on your iPhone. And unlike most of the other changes on this list, that will be the case starting today wherever you live in the world.
An added bonus for EU residents is that incoming support for third-party app stores means that Epic Games Store will return to iOS “this year”. This means fortnitewhich hasn't been on the iPhone since 2020, when Apple pulled it from the App Store, could now return, although the historical coldness between Epic and Apple could still ruin it.
4. iPhone web browsers will also change
At this time, Apple only allows web browsers that use Safari's WebKit engine on the iPhone. But that is now set to change in the EU and could have global repercussions for iOS web browsers.
In iOS 17.4 starting in March, browser apps in the EU will be able to use engines other than Apple's WebKit. That means, for example, that Chrome and Firefox could soon offer revamped iPhone experiences that more closely mirror their desktop experiences, in terms of speed and extensions.
Although this will initially only be the case in the EU, increased competition could force Apple to innovate more on Safari globally, particularly as iOS 17.4 will also offer EU users a home page that will allow them to choose a different default browser (such as Chrome, Firefox, Opera and Edge). In theory, that's good news for iPhone web browsing.
5. There will be no great free apps for everyone
The iPhone may get third-party app stores and be downloaded in the EU, but Apple has held on to significant control over apps and developers. In other words, don't expect apps to become drastically cheaper or change dramatically overnight.
For starters, alternative app stores and the apps they offer will still have to go through a similar approval process as Mac apps. Additionally, Apple is introducing a new fee structure for apps found in these 'markets'. of applications' that are not from Apple, and could dissuade many developers from taking the leap.
While developers will avoid Apple's traditional 30% cut (now reduced to 17%) by making their app available outside of the App Store, there is a significant impact for popular apps. Any app that gets more than a million installs a year has to pay Apple a fee of 0.50 euros per each install more than that million each year.
Apple claims this will only affect 1% of EU app developers, but could still convince many (particularly freemium app makers) to stay within the safe and predictable confines of the official App Store.
6. Mobile payments will undergo a restructuring in the EU
Another concession Apple has had to make to the pesky EU is giving third-party banking and wallet apps access to the iPhone's NFC powers. Right now, only Apple Pay and its Wallet app can use NFC for payments on the iPhone. But starting with iOS 17.4 in March, there will be other tap-to-pay options, at least in the EU.
In that region, you'll be able to set a default app to activate when you hold your iPhone near an NFC terminal or double-tap its side button. While this sounds like a consumer win in theory, it could also lead to a situation where banks remove support for Apple Pay in favor of a variety of competing apps. This is one of the aspects that is perhaps best observed from the outside.
7. You can't claim to own an iPhone in the EU
If you don't live in the EU but fancy trying out some of those alternative app stores, can't you just change the region of your iPhone or use a VPN? Probably not, because Apple seems to have created a strict new system of checks to make sure you are actually in the EU.
As discovered by 9to5Mac, a new system (which has been dormant on the iPhone since iOS 16.2) will combine several checks to see if a device is eligible for new app 'markets' and sideloading. These include your Apple ID billing address, your current location (the country, rather than your precise location), your current region set in Settings, and device type.
By checking all of these things against the list of eligible countries, Apple will apparently prevent iPhone owners outside the EU from trying out the changes it has reluctantly introduced. In theory, the variety of controls should also prevent problems that could arise, for example, if an iPhone owner from the EU travels to the US.
you might also like
