Apple Won't Allow Third 247010 Party App Stores, App Sideloading on iPad in the EU: Report

Unlike iOS, Apple won't both third-party app marketplaces and third-party browser engines on iPadOS. 70h3v

Written by Siddharth Suvarna | Updated: 30 January 2024 12:30 IST

Apple Won't Allow Third-Party App Stores, App Sideloading on iPad in the EU: Report

Apple is bringing app sideloading to the EU, but only for iOS devices 2d6m3i

Highlights

Apple will soon allow s to install third-party app stores in the EU
The new changes will be applicable to iOS and not iPadOS
Apple will also limit third-party browser engine to iOS

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Digital Markets Act regulations go into effect. The iPhone maker is changing how developers can offer applications on iOS, and will allow s in the EU to install apps from third-party marketplaces. However, Apple only plans to enable this functionality on iOS in the EU, and customers on iPadOS, tvOS, and watchOS, will have to rely on the App Store to apps.

The Cupertino company recently detailed all of the changes coming to iOS 17.4, including for alternative app marketplaces on an iPhone, app notarisation to keep s safe, for third party browser engines, and opening up its Near Field Communication (NFC) technology to more apps. However, all of these changes will be limited to iOS (via MacRumors), which means that your experience on different Apple devices will vary.

The EU's Digital Markets Act will force Apple to open up iOS to allow third-party app stores, but the regulations do not cover iPadOS, which is a distinct operating system. As a result, all of the sideloading-related changes coming to s in the EU won't apply to iPad owners, who will continue to get their apps from the App Store.

Spotify Calls Apple's Plan to Comply With EU's DMA Regulation a 'Farce'

While app sideloading and third-party marketplaces aren't coming to the iPad, Firefox Mozilla has highlighted another issue with Apple's changes before the DMA deadline. As part of the DMA, Apple will allow browsers like Firefox and Chrome to use their own engines — they were previously using Safari's WebKit engine — but these changes will remain limited to iOS. Mozilla told The Verge that the non-profit would need to develop one version of Firefox with its own engine, and one with Safari's engine for iPad s in the EU.

iOS 17.4 is also expected to bring one more change related to the DMA — access to NFC hardware for third party apps. Until now, only Apple Pay ed less payments on an iPhone, but this is set to change in the EU. s will soon be able to set third-party apps as the default for making less payments, via the phone's NFC technology. This change will also be limited to iOS, and will be accessible in the EU, just like the other changes being introduced by the company.

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Further reading: Sideloading

David Delima

Email David Delima

As a writer on technology with Gadgets 360, David Delima is interested in open-source technology, cybersecurity, consumer privacy, and loves to read and write about how the Internet works. David can be ed via email at [email protected], on Twitter at @DxDavey, and Mastodon at mstdn.social/@delima. More