Today Apple has released iOS 17.5 beta 2 to developers, and we don't normally report on such releases, but this one's important, as it marks the debut of yet another feature Apple was forced to add thanks to the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA). Starting in iOS 17.5, EU iPhone owners will be able to download apps from websites - aka sideloading. No need to go through Apple's App Store, or any other app store for that matter - Apple also started supporting alternative app stores thanks to the DMA in iOS 17.4. Now this takes the flexibility of finding apps one step further. However,...

EU’s Digital Markets Act is proving to be a nightmare for Apple. You may have followed the back and forth on deciding just how third-party app stores will work, but there’s more to it than that. For example, Apple is supposed to show a browser choice screen, similar to what Microsoft had to do with Windows a decade ago. And that’s not the end of it either. John Gruber of Daring Fireball noticed comments by Margrethe Vestager, who leads the EC’s “Europe Fit for the Digital Age” initiative. They suggest that Apple must provide not only a choice of which apps to install and use – but also...

Shortly after Apple terminated Epic Games' developer account, the EU Commission launched a probe against the Cupertino-based company to see if there's any violation of the Digital Markets Act (DMA). And a swift decision followed. In an X post, Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney said that Apple will be reinstating the European developer account after the EU Commission enforced the DMA. The X post even suggests that the EU's decision paves the way for an Epic Games Store on iOS in Europe. The DMA went through its first major challenge with Apple banning Epic Games Sweden from competing with the...

If you were left wondering what Apple’s “gone for too long” policy towards users who have sideloaded apps and leave the European Union – it’s 30 days. Apple updated its support page to clarify the grace period is exactly 30 days after which users will not be able to download apps from alternative app stores or receive updates to downloaded apps. You can still use third-party apps outside the EU indefinitely but software updates to those apps will be unavailable after the 30-day grace period. In the specific case where a user is outside the EU for 30 days and returns to EU territory,...

If you were left wondering what Apple’s “gone for too long” policy towards users who have sideloaded apps and leave the European Union – it’s 30 days. Apple updated its support page to clarify the grace period is exactly 30 days after which users will not be able to download apps from alternative app stores or receive updates to downloaded apps. You can still use third-party apps outside the EU indefinitely but software updates to those apps will be unavailable after the 30-day grace period. In the specific case where a user is outside the EU for 30 days and returns to EU territory,...

Yesterday Apple released iOS 17.4 (and iPadOS 17.4), the version which adheres to the EU's newly gone into effect Digital Markets Act (DMA), even if Apple's compliance seems to be incredibly begrudging and at times resentment-filled. You can tell from its press releases on the matter, and the theme continues today with a support document that outlines what happens if an EU citizen with access to a third party app store leaves the EU "for too long". You guessed it - no more access to the third party app store for you. In case you were wondering - what "too long" means in this context...

Yesterday Apple released iOS 17.4 (and iPadOS 17.4), the version which adheres to the EU's newly gone into effect Digital Markets Act (DMA), even if Apple's compliance seems to be incredibly begrudging and at times resentment-filled. You can tell from its press releases on the matter, and the theme continues today with a support document that outlines what happens if an EU citizen with access to a third party app store leaves the EU "for too long". You guessed it - no more access to the third party app store for you. In case you were wondering - what "too long" means in this context...

Today Apple is releasing iOS 17.4 and iPadOS 17.4, in order to comply with the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA), which is imminently going into effect. This is the version that brings support for third party app stores, and many more changes that are mandated by the DMA - but keep in mind that all of the DMA-related stuff will only be available in the EU. Any browser that isn't Apple's Safari can now use whatever rendering engine its developers want, they're not forced to go with Apple's WebKit anymore. Additionally, when you first enter Safari after installing this update, you'll be...

Today Apple is releasing iOS 17.4 and iPadOS 17.4, in order to comply with the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA), which is imminently going into effect. This is the version that brings support for third party app stores, and many more changes that are mandated by the DMA - but keep in mind that all of the DMA-related stuff will only be available in the EU. Any browser that isn't Apple's Safari can now use whatever rendering engine its developers want, they're not forced to go with Apple's WebKit anymore. Additionally, when you first enter Safari after installing this update, you'll be...

Back in mid-February, Apple announced that iOS 17.4 would remove support for progressive web apps in the EU. The company blamed this on the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA), which goes into effect next week and is the reason why iOS 17.4 will come with support for alternative app stores. Following a huge amount of online backlash, today Apple has changed its mind and revealed that progressive web apps will still be supported even in iOS 17.4 in the EU. So, like before, you'll be able to add a progressive web app to your home screen and it will launch in its own top-level window, not being...