Many people in the tech world consider Apple’s App Store to have been the driving force behind the iPhone’s success. Without it, the iPhone was just another dumb phone trying to be smart. But access to apps via the company’s App Store opened up a whole world of opportunity.
Until now, Apple’s proprietary store was the only way, other than illegal sideloading, for users to download apps onto their iPhones and iPads. But that’s all about to change in Europe, where iOS users will be able to download third-party app stores, starting with the iOS 17.4 update, which was announced on Thursday and is rolling out in March.
This change marks one of the biggest updates to the App Store since Apple first launched it back in 2008. Once users have iOS 17.4 installed on their phones, they’ll be able to download an alternative app store, which has been approved and signed off on by Apple, and they’ll then be able to use it to download other apps onto their device. Apple will even let people set a third-party marketplace as their default app store in the settings of their phone.
These new default app controls extend further than the app store too. For example, when users download iOS 17.4, they’ll be prompted to choose a default browser, which could be an alternative to Safari (Apple already allows people to pick their own default browser, but the prompt is new). Likewise, they’ll be able to choose their own default payment service, as Apple expands developer access to the NFC capabilities on its devices.
The reason this is happening in Europe and not anywhere else is due to a piece of EU legislation called the Digital Markets Act, or DMA, which was adopted back in 2022. The aim of the DMA is to guarantee people in Europe choice when it comes to the digital services they want to use. For tech companies such as Apple, this means creating more of a level playing field, which will allow its rivals to compete with Apple for users’ business and loyalty.
As things currently stand, Apple hasn’t expressed any intention to allow users in the US to download alternative app stores. Right now it’s priority is meeting the EU’s March deadline for compliance with the DMA.
One change that’ll apply worldwide will specifically benefit gamers. For the first time, Apple is opening its App Store to allow game streaming services, provided by the likes of Xbox and GeForce, to offer full-featured apps.
Knowing the risks
Apple’s No. 1 reason for keeping such a tight lock on the app ecosystem has always been security, the company says. By manually assessing each and every app allowed in its App Store, Apple argues, the company minimizes the risk that users may accidentally download malware or end up with something nefarious on their iPhones. And, to give the company credit, in all the years of the iPhone’s existence, there’s never been a widespread malware attack on iOS.
Apple says that while it’s committed to complying with the DMA and has done everything in its power to minimize the risk to users, opening up iOS to third-party app stores isn’t without risk. For instance, once you download an app that has permission to install other apps on your phone, that creates a security risk. But Apple has tried to lessen the risk by ensuring users have as much control as possible over their settings and permissions.
“The changes we’re announcing today comply with the Digital Markets Act’s requirements in the European Union, while helping to protect EU users from the unavoidable increased privacy and security threats this regulation brings,” Apple Fellow Phil Schiller said in a statement. “Our priority remains creating the best, most secure possible experience for our users in the EU and around the world.”
For European iOS users, the higher level of risk is something worth considering when deciding whether to download a third-party marketplace.
