Major changes are expected in iOS 17 as the EU Digital Markets Act came into effect in October 2022. Previously, companies such as Google and Apple had sole control over their app stores. To offer an app for the iPhone, developers had to use the Apple App Store and pay between 15 and 30 percent of their earnings to the company. Additionally, all browsers for the iPhone had to be based on Apple’s WebKit engine, which meant even browsers like Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox for the iPhone were based on the same engine as Safari.
The Digital Markets Act now prohibits both practices. Specifically, this means that Apple must allow browsers that are based on other programs. However, the even more significant change is that the company must allow for „sideloading“ on the iPhone. This means that apps can be installed from sources other than the App Store, similar to what is already possible on Android smartphones. Users can then download apps directly from websites and may even install alternative app stores. Of course, the existing Apple App Store will still be available.
