Apple will reportedly allow alternative app stores besides the App Store on iOS. This change is quite dramatic considering that so far iPhone and iPad users can only download applications from the App Store.
According to a report from Bloomberg, the plan is driven by the Digital Markets Act (DMA), a new European Union regulation that regulates 'digital gatekeepers' to ensure more open markets.
The European Union requires gatekeeper companies to comply with this rule by March 6, 2024. This means that Apple may introduce an alternative App Store when releasing iOS 17 next year.
Through this change, Apple is not only required to allow third-party app stores but also the practice of sideloading, where users can install applications downloaded via the browser.
With this new rule, application developers can also directly connect with their users because their applications can be made available outside the App Store. Developers may also not have to pay the up to 30% commission that Apple collects from each transaction.
Android users have been able to sideload applications from the start. But Apple considers this practice harmful to its product ecosystem, even Apple's SVP Craig Federighi once called sideloading a 'good friend of cybercriminals'.
Apple probably won't just give up all of its controls. The iPhone manufacturer reportedly requires certain security conditions, verifies applications from external sources, and may charge certain fees, as quoted from The Verge.
Apple also hasn't specified whether they will allow app developers to use third-party payment systems, which is also one of the key DMA points.
The company created by Steve Jobs also hasn't determined how to make iMessage able to connect with other short message services, and open the Find My network to more devices.
Apple is currently also preparing for a major change driven by EU rules, namely the iPhone with USB-C. Under the Common Charger rules, all electronic devices sold in the European Union must use a USB-C port before 28 December 2024, including iPhones.