Third-party developers from the European Union will be able to offer iPhone apps for download directly from their websites, bypassing the App Store altogether.
Europe
Apple will let EU users uninstall Safari from iPhone & make switching browsers easier
Apple wouldn't specify whether people who live outside the European Union (EU) will also be permitted to uninstall Safari from their iPhones.
Alternative stores will stop updating iPhone apps if you leave Europe for 30+ days
Are you traveling outside Europe anytime soon? If so, you’ll have to return after 30 days to receive the latest versions of apps downloaded from third-party app stores.
EU just hit Apple with $2B fine over Spotify’s App Store claims
Regulators in the European Union (EU) hit Apple with a huge fine for anti-competitive rules for third-party App Store apps in the Spotify streaming case.
Apple backtracks, saying Home Screen web apps in the EU are here to stay
Apple’s iOS 17.4 software won’t prevent people in Europe from saving progressive web apps to the Home Screen of their iPhones after all.
MacPaw launching Setapp app store on iPhone in April; join a waitlist now
Setapp, MacPaw's macOS and iOS app subscription service, will launch an alternative app store on iPhone in the European Union (EU) in April.
Apple has spitefully crippled iPhone web apps in Europe, and now competition regulators in Brussels are investigating
Apple has intentionally crippled iPhone web apps in Europe, and now competition regulators in Brussels are taking a closer look at the user-hostile move.
Apple says App Store asking permission before it downloads is a bug that will be fixed before iOS 17.4 is released [u]
In Europe, downloading an app from Apple’s own App Store won't require an extra step after authenticating with Face ID because this is actually a bug.
Fortnite is returning to iPhone and iPad, Epic Games has confirmed
Fortnite should be available to iPhone and iPad users within the European Union when the Epic Games Store launches on iOS and iPadOS.
Apple could make iPhone sideloading a “highly controlled system”
Apple is reportedly preparing to allow customers to sideload iPhone apps from alternative app stores beginning in the first half of 2024.
European iPhone 15 models could be the next to lose the legacy SIM card tray
The upcoming iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro models destined for European countries like France are rumored to ditch the SIM card tray and go all-in on eSIM technology.
RIP Lightning: Will Apple cave to the European Union pressure to adopt USB-C charging on iPhone by 2024?
New EU rules may force Apple to drop its proprietary Lightning connector and adopt USB-C charging for its iPhone, AirPods and other products by late 2024.