Apple releases iOS 17.4 to add support for third-party app stores in the EU

[harlan4096]

Apple has released iOS 17.4 and iPadOS 17.4. The latest update adds support for third-party app marketplaces in order to comply with the European Union's Digital Market Act, which comes into effect today.

iOS 17.4 adds support for third-party app marketplaces

The biggest change in iOS 17.4 is that it finally allows alternative app marketplaces, aka sideloading, so iPhone and iPad users will be able to download and install apps from third-party app stores. There are some rather strict restrictions for app developers, including a hefty 27% commission fee. It remains to be seen which app stores pop up in the EU, so far the Epic Games store, SetApp, and Mobivention have announced that their app marketplaces will be available soon.

Default browser and browser engines for users in the EU region

iPhone users in the EU will see a new prompt when they open Safari for the first time, which will ask them to choose the default web browser of their choice.
iOS 17.4 also allows web browsers with alternative browser engines. In case you didn't know, until now, Apple restricted iOS web browsers to use the WebKit engine that powers Safari. Now, browser makers will be able to use their own engines for their browser apps. So you could soon be able to use Google Chrome with Blink, Mozilla Firefox with Gecko, possibly with support extensions as well. Browser developers have criticized the move, because Apple has restricted these true versions to the EU, meaning they will have to maintain two versions of their browsers; one for the EU, and the watered-down version for the rest of the world.

Alternative payment options for apps in the App Store

Apple is finally allowing third-party payment methods for apps that are available on the App Store. These payment options will be marked with a badge, aka a scary-looking warning that the user will be redirected to a website that is not associated with Apple, for completing the transaction.
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