Credit: Ryan Haines / Android Authority
- Apple will soon allow “authorized developers” to distribute apps directly from their website without any app store in the middle.
- However, the eligibility for being an “authorized developer” is very high and involves paying the contentious Core Technology Fee.
- Apple is also relaxing conditions around third-party marketplaces and how developers can design promotions when linking out to purchases.
Apple is forced to make some sweeping changes to how iOS and the iPhone work, primarily due to the EU’s Digital Markets Act. For the first time in its history, the company has to officially allow for sideloading apps on the iPhone through competing third-party app stores. Now, Apple is changing its sideload policy, allowing iOS users in the EU to install apps directly from websites without an intervening app store from Apple or the competition.
Specifically for EU users, iOS 17.4 includes some significant changes to the iPhone and Apple App Store in compliance with the EU’s Digital Markets Act. Users can download and use alternative app stores in the EU region and even set them as default.