Apple has begun implementing changes required by the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), meaning people living in the EU will have more options for downloading apps and choosing their default browsers.
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If you live in the US, the press release Apple put out today won’t mean much to you, but if you live in the EU, you may notice some changes to the app store and your web browser options. In the release, Apple outlined its plan to let people download apps from “alternative marketplaces” and introduced a new feature that lets EU users select their preferred default browser when they first open Safari, and it was painfully clear that Apple doesn’t approve of being forced to make these changes.
The changes to the App Store begin with the ability for iOS users in the EU to download apps from places other than the App Store. But Apple warns that this poses additional risks of "scams, fraud, and abuse, or exposing users to illegal, offensive, or harmful content. Additionally, apps that use alternative browser engines, other than Apple's WebKit, may negatively impact the user experience, including impacting system performance and battery life."
The changes to browser selection options are also coming to EU users only. The first time someone opens Safari after installing iOS 17.4, they’ll be presented with a browser chooser, allowing them to choose to keep using Safari or default to a different browser.
