Apple opening iOS to App Store alternatives looks like it’s finally going to happen

But only in the EU, because why change if the government isn’t forcing you

Apple is worth trillions upon trillions of dollars, and when you’re that ridiculously successful, you’re not about to wildly switch up what you’ve been doing without having good reason. But this notoriously set-in-its-ways company may be about to face a reckoning, as a new set of regulations coming out of the European Union is forcing Apple to address some of its more controversial policies. After we first heard what this could mean for the iPhone finally moving from Lightning to USB-C, a new report claims that Apple is preparing to open up iOS with support for third-party app stores.

Pressure has only been building for Apple to open its ecosystem up in recent years, spurred on by the focus placed upon its payment systems in the suits surrounding the Epic Games debacle. And while the US has been largely hands-off with Apple (aside from the occasional grumbling from law enforcement, frustrated by robust iPhone encryption), legislators in the EU have not shied away from delivering some game-changing new requirements for companies like Apple, arriving in the form of this summer’s Digital Markets Act.

The DMA is a big deal, and has the potential to help level the playing field a little bit by reducing the influence of powerful companies like Apple and Google, controlling the biggest mobile platforms on the planet. While many of its rules won’t be enforced for another couple of years, tech companies are already making plans for compliance, and Bloomberg now reports that Apple intends to let iPhones and iPads in the EU access third-party alternate app stores.

Obviously, that would be a big change for how iOS users get their hands on software, and we have tons of questions about what it might look like. Bloomberg claims that Apple’s only really thinking about this for the EU right now, and although it doesn’t outright reject the possibility of Apple extending that access to other markets, the company does not sound super enthusiastic.

There’s also the question of just how hands-off Apple might be, and even if it permits other companies to administer repositories of iOS apps, Apple itself could still require developers to submit apps for approval — and collect a fee for granting it. While that would ostensibly be a safety measure, it would still let Apple keep a finger on the scale of control.

What this probably doesn’t mean is a sweeping change that would see Apple similarly embrace third-party access and solutions across all corners of its mobile world — that spells no RCS, for those of you holding your breath. But that said, there are some specific areas where Bloomberg points to Apple slowly opening itself up in response to DMA requirements.

Browser support could get a big shot in the arm thanks to the DMA, and Apple is supposedly preparing to let browsers like Chrome finally use their own rendering engines. We could also see NFC support extend to third-party apps, and private Apple APIs may get a public light shone upon them.

Ultimately, none of this is likely to have much of a financial impact for Apple. Not only will the vast majority of users almost certainly stick with the App Store for their software needs, but the European market represents just a fraction of Apple’s total income. Still, it will be very exciting to see how Apple approaches these changes, and just how comfortable it is giving up a little control, as we get closer to DMA requirements going into effect in 2024.