Apple says iPhone users in the European Union will be able to download apps from its website instead of through the App Store or competing App Store apps, thanks to the latest changes enforced by the European Commission’s Digital Markets Act. That’s what it means.
This is a big change for Apple. The company has been fighting web downloads of iPhone software (often called “sideloading”) for years, citing security issues and Apple’s right to dictate the user experience.
Tuesday’s announcement is the latest example of the Digital Markets Act forcing Apple to make changes to its App Store’s business processes that it has long rejected. The DMA is intended to force “gatekeepers” – large technology companies like Apple – to open up their platforms to smaller competitors.
The web download program is scheduled to launch later this spring, and developers will be required to meet “certain criteria” such as having an app that has been downloaded more than 1 million times in Europe. Apple says it plans to continue charging fees.
Apple said European companies can also offer the App Store for the iPhone, as long as they only provide access to one company’s apps.
“Distributing apps directly from a website requires responsibility and oversight of the user experience, including the ability to manage apps and provide customer support and refunds,” Apple said on a support page posted Tuesday. “Apple will authorize developers after meeting specific criteria and committing to ongoing requirements that help protect users.”
Under the DMA, Apple will be forced to allow third-party app stores in Europe, reinstate antitrust opponent Epic Games’ developer account following legal dispute, and allow web apps on iPhone’s main screen. The ban on shortcuts was rolled back. Apple’s actions suggest that the European Commission could successfully regulate Apple in the region by threatening fines and other measures for violations.
European Commission Executive Vice-President Margrethe Vestager said the European Commission will review Apple’s recent $1.95 billion EU fine to ensure that Apple’s new guidelines are followed. He said he has confirmed with Apple’s competitors such as Spotify to support. With the spirit of the law.
“We will want to hear from third parties,” Vestager said on Monday. “Do they get what the DMA is supposed to give them, which is an open market?”
Apple still has a 50% penalty for non-App Store app downloads, including web app downloads. We plan to charge a fee of cents. The company’s services business reported $78 billion in revenue in fiscal 2023, including subscriptions and other items, and App Store fees are core to the company’s profits.
According to the company, Europe accounts for about 7% of Apple’s App Store sales.