Apple is planning to let users install alternative app stores on iOS, according to a report from Bloomberg. The shift would be a remarkable change from the company, which has famously only allowed iPhone and iPad users to download apps from the App Store.
The plans are reportedly being spurred on by the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), which is meant to enact “rules for digital gatekeepers to ensure open markets” when its restrictions become a requirement in 2024, according to a press release.
For me, when Apple started ‘allowing’ copy-and-paste, 3rd party keyboards, and widgets, these were all big moments. They actually had me changing back to an iPhone for a while.
So it will be very interesting to see how Apple manages these 3rd party app stores. It certainly will NOT be like Android where you can just use any 3rd party app store. But I love (not) that bit about them possibly charging a fee of their own for apps installed from 3rd party app stores. I’d think that defeats the purpose of having a 3rd party app store.
I’ll bet we’ll all be asking in a year’s time, ‘but what was the point of having 3rd party app stores?’.
See https://www.theverge.com/2022/12/13/23507766/apple-app-store-eu-dma-third-party-sideloading
#technology #EU #apple #appstore #ios