App Store

Apple on Thursday announced a series of changes coming to iOS in order to comply with the EU’s Digital Market Act antitrust legislation, which forces the company to let developers distribute their apps outside the App Store. In addition, Apple announced that developers will now be able to submit “interoperability requests” for iOS apps.

Apple has officially announced that sideloading will be available for EU users with iOS 17.4. Along with the major change, Apple has detailed how it will label apps from third-party app stores to inform and protect EU users, and the features that will be missing when sideloading.

The first beta of iOS 17.4 is coming today, and it makes big changes to the iPhone, the App Store, and more in the European Union.

Starting with iOS 17.4, Apple is opening the iPhone to what it calls “alternative app marketplaces” for the first time. Apple says this will “enable developers to offer their iOS apps for download from alternative app marketplaces and help protect their intellectual property.”

Spotify in-app subscriptions aren’t currently possible, thanks to Apple’s 30% cut – but the company has today previewed the experience it hopes to offer to European customers from March.

The streaming music company shows animations comparing the current in-app experience with the one it hopes to be able to offer once Europe’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) antitrust law comes into force on March 7 …

Back in 2022, the Federal Anti-Monopoly Service (FAS) in Russia accused Apple of anti-competitive practices when it comes to the iOS App Store. Last year, the regulator decided to fine the U.S. company 1.2 billion rubles (which was $17.4 million at the time), and now the Russian government claims to have finally received the money from Apple.

Attorney General Brenna Bird from the great state of Iowa is going after TikTok with a new lawsuit. The latest legal battle being fought in the US against the ByteDance-owned video platform isn’t just seeking an all out ban. Instead, the state of Iowa is targeting TikTok over how it allegedly age rates itself inappropriately in the App Store.

Daring Fireball’s John Gruber has said that Apple’s decision to charge 27% commission on app sales made outside the App Store “reeks of greed and avarice.”

He also backs the view I expressed yesterday that the iPhone maker is putting itself in the firing line of regulators and legislators, while a majority of 9to5Mac commenters appear to disagree …

Apple announced yesterday that US App Store developers may link to alternative payment methods but will still have to pay up to a 27% commission. Now Spotify has shared an official statement on the matter saying the move “flies in the face of the court’s efforts” and urging the EU to prohibit fees for outside link purchases “swiftly.”

The Supreme Court’s decision not to hear appeals by either Apple or Epic Games means that the antitrust case is officially decided – and the iPhone maker is now demanding that the games company pay $73M of its $81M legal expenses.

The iPhone maker says that as there were ten issues at stake, and Apple won on nine of them, Epic should pay 90% of its legal bill …

The US Supreme Court yesterday decided that the original ruling in the Epic Games case should stand – and Apple’s response to the antitrust ruling has been uncompromising, to put it politely.

The company’s announcement that it will allow external payments but still claim a 27% commission on sales made outside the App Store is effectively Apple giving the middle finger not just to Epic Games – which may be understandable – but also to the court which made the original ruling, and to antitrust regulators …

After a long legal dispute, the US Supreme Court ruled today that Apple will have to relax some of its App Store policies. More specifically, the company now has to let developers offer alternative payment methods. Still, Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney isn’t happy with the final terms and says the company will contest Apple’s “bad-faith compliance plan.”

In light of the US Supreme Court denying to hear Apple’s appeal in its legal battle with Epic Games, Apple has announced a handful of changes coming to the App Store Guidelines. Starting today, Apple is updating the App Store Guidelines to comply with the outcome of the 2021 Apple vs. Epic trial.

The changes reform Apple’s guidelines to relax its anti-steering rules that have previously prohibited developers from linking to alternative payment systems in their apps.

A few months ago, developers with access to an Apple Vision Pro Developer Kit were given access to the App Store to download compatible iPhone and iPad apps. As Vision Pro arrives in stores in February, Apple has made it possible for developers to submit their apps to the App Store. Starting today, these visionOS apps are now rolling out to users.

The EU’s Digital Markets Act antitrust legislation passed last year will force Apple to allow users to install third-party apps from outside the iOS App Store, a process known as sideloading. Apple is yet to reveal how exactly it will comply with the legislation, but the company reportedly plans to do so very soon.

We recently reported that App Store Review rejected HEY Calendar, a new app from Basecamp, for the same reason that led to HEY Email being rejected from the App Store in 2020. This time, to get HEY Calendar approved by Apple, Basecamp has added an unexpected new feature to the app rather than changing how it works.

While Apple is making behind-the-scenes preparations for allowing third-party app stores to comply with Europe’s antitrust requirements, the company is continuing to make arguments about why it shouldn’t have to.

Latest among these is the suggestion that the App Store shouldn’t be viewed as a ‘platform’ as the company actually operates five different app stores …

App Store Review is blocking another Basecamp camp, and David Heinemeier Hansson isn’t happy. It happened in 2020 with the iOS app for their Hey email service. This time, it’s the standalone Hey Calendar app that Apple says violates App Store rules.

We recently learned that Apple is settling a class-action lawsuit over its Family Sharing feature for $25 million. Read along for all the details on who is eligible and how to submit a claim for the Apple Family Sharing lawsuit.

The US antitrust case against Apple’s App Store exclusivity is “firing on all cylinders” according to the head of the Department of Justice unit responsible for policing breaches of competition law.

The implication is that Apple may soon be forced to allow third-party app stores and/or sideloading in the US as well as in Europe …

As the Digital Markets Act antitrust law passed in the European Union, Apple has until March 2024 to let users in Europe install iOS apps outside the App Store. Although Apple has yet to say a word about how it will do this, regulators around the world have also been considering applying the same demands to the company – and Japan could be the next country to do so.

We’re likely less than six months away from the launch of third-party app stores on the iPhone – at least in Europe – and Apple’s plans for this appear to be advancing.

We’ve already noted that most consumers are unlikely to switch from the official App Store, unless they are given good reason to. But Apple also needs to keep developers loyal to the platform, and a seemingly small piece of news over the weekend likely revealed how the company intends to go about this …