A change for iPad users in the European Union, Apple is set to allow the downloading of apps from third-party app stores starting from September 16, 2024. This change will coincide with the release of iPadOS 18.
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The company had a six-month deadline to make sure that iPadOS was fully compliant with the DMA. This process officially began when the Commission added iPadOS to the DMA’s list of CPS in April 2024.
By September 16, 2024, when iPadOS 18 is launched, users in the EU will be able to access and install apps from third-party app stores. This is in line with earlier changes that allowed similar functionalities for iPhones running iOS 17.4 and later.
With the launch of iPadOS 18, iPad users in the EU will no longer be limited to Apple’s official App Store. They will have the option to install and use third-party app stores.
This will give consumers more freedom in how they choose to discover, download and install apps on their devices.
Currently five third-party app stores are available for iPhones in the EU including the AltStore PAL. These stores provide a variety of apps that are not available on the official App Store.
For example, AltStore PAL allows users to download apps such as the Delta video game emulator, the UTM virtual machine app and the iTorrent app for torrenting.
One of the entries into the third-party app store market is the Epic Games Store. Already available on iPhones in the EU, Epic plans to bring its platform to the iPad as well.
The ability to download apps from third-party stores is a landmark move for Apple, a company known for its highly controlled ecosystem.
Up until now, users were locked into the App Store for all downloads and developers had to comply with Apple guidelines.
The company’s decision follows similar allowances made for iPhone users in the European Union earlier in the year, a gradual but deliberate compliance with the DMA.
For iPad users in the EU, this means more freedom, as they will no longer be restricted to Apple’s curated ecosystem of apps.
Apple’s change in policy is not driven by a sudden willingness to open up its ecosystem but is rather a direct consequence of the European Union’s Digital Markets Act.
Passed with the goal of preventing tech giants from monopolizing the digital market, the DMA forces companies like Apple to allow third-party services to operate on their platforms.
The company initially tried to say that iPadOS didn’t meet the necessary user threshold to be classified as a core platform service under the DMA. However, the European Commission noted lock-in effects for business users and insisted that Apple make changes to its iPad operating system.
In April 2024, iPadOS was officially designated as a core platform service, which compelled Apple to update its policies and give third-party developers and alternative stores the freedom to operate on iPads.
Certain apps and services that previously couldn’t pass Apple’s App Store guidelines will now find their way to iPad users through third-party app stores.
These alternative stores might offer competitive pricing, discounts or exclusive deals that aren’t available on the official App Store.
Some developers might choose to launch exclusive apps or provide special features through these alternative stores. This is appealing for users who want to explore niche apps or services that haven’t been available on the Apple platform due to its existing restrictions.
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Developers currently pay Apple a commission of up to 30% on all in-app purchases and sales. By using third-party stores, they may now be able to retain a higher percentage of their revenue or lower their app prices for consumers.
Apple’s App Store guidelines have long been criticized for being overly restrictive around the types of content allowed and the frameworks developers can use.
With third-party app stores, developers will have more freedom to innovate without having to conform to Apple’s standards.
Several third-party app stores are already lining up to take advantage of this new opportunity. For instance, Epic Games has confirmed that it plans to launch its store on iPads soon after the update.
Other third-party stores that are already available on iPhones in the EU such as Setapp Mobile and AltStore PAL are expected to extend their services to iPad users as well.
This is especially exciting for gamers, as the availability of Epic’s app store means that popular games like Fortnite will soon be playable on a larger iPad screen.
For other developers, these alternative stores offer a way to reach users directly without having to adhere to Apple’s existing app policies.
Another feature coming with iPadOS 18 is the ability for users to download and use browsers that are not reliant on Apple’s WebKit engine.
Currently, all browsers on iOS and iPadOS must use WebKit, Apple’s in-house browser engine. This requirement has limited the functionality and performance of third-party browsers like Chrome and Firefox on Apple devices.
With the release of iPadOS 18, developers will be able to create and distribute browsers that use their own engines.
For example, a browser like Google Chrome, which uses its own Blink engine might offer improved speed and compatibility with certain web applications when it no longer needs to be based on WebKit.
This update is likely to enhance the web browsing experience for many users by providing a diverse range of browsing tools.
Starting with iPadOS 18, users will be able to remove these default apps and replace them with their preferred alternatives. This change declutters the home screen and also gives users greater control over their device’s functionality.
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