Apple plans to make significant changes to the App Store to align the platform with European Union requirements. Apple has sorted a peculiar solution to break the App Store in two to comply with sideloading in the region. It remains to be seen how Apple will offer guidelines to third-party developers and how the payments will be handled.
Apple has approximately 7 weeks to comply with the EU antitrust regulations, which will allow app sideloading and third-party payment systems on iPhone
In his latest Power On newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman shares that the company is planning to split the App Store in two ahead of the deadline imposed by the European Union. The changes will be executed under the EU's Digital Markets Act in the coming weeks. If you are unfamiliar with it, the EU has slated a March 7 deadline, meaning the company has approximately seven weeks to offer sideloading on the App Store.
Apple CEO Tim Cook met with the EU antitrust chief last week at Apple Park. Margrethe Vestager and Cook talked about the company's impending obligation to offer third-party app stores and the ability to sideload apps under the Digital Markets Act. While the change has seen mixed reactions, developers can promote their apps outside of App Stores. Additionally, it will also allow developers to use third-party payment systems.
Besides the App Store, the company is expected to change FaceTime and Siri in Europe to comply with antitrust regulations. As mentioned, Apple will devise an adequate system for developers to offer their apps outside the App Store. However, various concerns are associated with app sideloading and third-party payment systems.
It was previously noted by Apple that app sideloading could be harmful to a user's data. The same approach can be applied to third-party payment systems. However, Apple could implement dedicated guidelines or protection to prevent malicious apps from being installed on the iPhone or iPad. The company could set up different App Store guidelines for third-party developers to upload their apps.
We have seen how Apple and Epic Games went to court over various conflicts in the past few years. Apple ended up removing Fortnite from the App Store due to payment issues. With the latest changes coming into effect, Fortnite could finally make its way to a version of the App Store that includes app sideloading. We are unsure how Apple will split the App Store in two. The company could offer a different app store or a new tab in the existing One. We will share more details in the future, so stick around.
About the author: Ali Salman is a technology reporter for Wccftech mobile section with a specialized focus on Apple and the intellectual property that drives mobile innovation. He has cultivated a unique expertise in analyzing and deconstructing complex technology patents, translating dense legal and technical documents into clear, insightful reports on future products.
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