Apple announces third-party app stores coming with iOS 17.4 in the EU
Apple has today announced that to comply with the Digital Markets Act’s requirements in the European Union, iOS 17.4, releasing in March 2024, will add support for third-party app stores on iPhone, allowing users in the EU to download apps to their devices through an app marketplace other than Apple’s own App Store.
With iOS 17.4, users will be able to download an alternative marketplace app from the marketplace developer’s website, this will act similarly to the iOS App Store in offering apps to users that can be installed onto a device, such as an iPhone or iPad. Additionally, developers who make apps for iOS will have new tools that will enable them to make their App Store apps available too on alternative app marketplaces.
According to Apple, for a user to install a new app marketplace, they must first approve the developer with the Allow Marketplace from Developer control in Settings. Before an app or marketplace app is installed, a new system sheet will display information
developers have submitted to Apple for review, like the app name, developer name, app description, screenshots, and system age rating.
Users can manage their list of allowed marketplace developers and their marketplace apps in Settings and remove them at any time. Removing an allowed marketplace developer prevents new apps and updates from the developer’s website from being installed. Deleting a marketplace app deletes all related data from the device and stops updates for apps from that marketplace, which may affect features and functionality for the apps installed from the marketplace.