Apple users must feel it has been a long time coming as the new iOS 17.4 update will bring a much-sought-after feature to iPad and iPhone owners. For context, the iOS 17.4 update will allow third-party app stores on iOS for the first time, breaking the Apple App Store’s position as the sole distributor of iPhone apps.
After the iOS 17.4 update, iPad and iPhone users within the EU can download an appmarketplace from its respective website. Before you can utilise the feature on your device, it must go through Apple’s approval process. To receive approval, you must explicitly authorise it to download apps to your device. Once Apple approves the marketplace on your device, you can download anything you want — including apps that may not follow the App Store rules. You can also set a non-App Store marketplace as the default on your device.
The changes comply with the tech giant’s response to the Digital Markets Act (DMA) coming in March as Apple unveils its alternative app marketplaces for developers releasing iOS software in the European Union. It is a massive change in its ecosystem in the EU for developers as the DMA hopes to reduce the monopoly and gatekeeping of tech giants such as Apple and Google.
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What Changes Are iOS 17.4 Bringing?
Alternative App Marketplaces
Accompanying the iOS 17.4 update, the alternative app marketplaces work as an iOS app that can install other iOS apps on an iPhone or iPad. The changes are available for developers who distribute apps in any of the 27 EU member countries and only apply to apps available and distributed to users in the EU. Any developer can make an app a marketplace on the understanding that they meet Apple’s criteria for client involvement, extortion avoidance, customer support, and more.
As for the benefits of the marketplace, it would include new options for developers in distributing apps on iOS, processing payments, using web browser engines in iOS apps, seeking interoperability with iPhone and iOS hardware and software features, accessing data and analytics about their apps, and transferring App Store user data.
However, not every developer needs to subscribe to the new feature. For existing developers who want nothing to change — they can continue to distribute their apps only on the App Store and use its private and secure In-App Purchase system. On the other hand, developers who want to utilise the new feature must go through a notarisation process that includes safety and security checks.
In addition, although Apple is not charging a commission on apps installed through alternative marketplaces, nor will it charge a commission for alternative payment systems, there is a Core Technology Fee costing €0.50 per install per account annually. For context, app developers who decide to distribute under the App Store will pay Apple a reduced commission (30% down to 17% and 15% down to 10%) with the new terms, while developers sticking with the original agreement will pay the fees they pay now, 15 to 30% commission.
iOS
Besides the focus on developers, users will get plenty of new features with the iOS 17.4 update, as users in the European Union will have the option to choose a default browser, with Apple providing a list of the most downloaded browsers. Thus, users can use other browser engines besides WebKit for browser apps and apps with in-app browsing experiences.
As with the risks to prevent users from installing software from unknown developers that are not subject to the Apple Developer Program requirements, installing software that compromises system integrity with malware or other malicious code and more, Apple has provided a management system in the Settings app that allows users to revoke permissions for app marketplaces and also, set a default app marketplace on their device.
Following up with Settings, the iOS 17.4 update has brought another new default control in Settings, the Contactless payment apps. Since Apple will enable developers to use NFC technology in their banking and wallet apps throughout the European Economic Area, users may manage their preferred default contactless payments app through a new default setting and select any eligible app adopting the HCE Payments Entitlement as the default.
Expanded Analytics and Data Reports
In accordance with the DMA’s demands, Apple’s upcoming iOS 17.4 update will expand on its present analytics accessible for developers’ apps both within the EU and around the world to assist designers acquire more knowledge about their businesses and their apps’ performance.
According to their blog post, their new App Store Connect API will generate over 50 up-to-date reports to help developers analyse their app performance and find opportunities for improvement with more metrics. Attached below are the metrics the reports will focus on:
- Engagement — Providing additional information on the number of users on the App Store interacting with a developer’s app or sharing it with others.
- Commerce — Providing additional information on downloads, sales and proceeds, pre-orders, and transactions made with the App Store’s secure In-App Purchase system;
- App usage — Providing detailed information on crashes, active devices, installs, app deletions, and more.
- Frameworks usage — Providing additional information on an app’s interaction with OS capabilities such as PhotoPicker, Widgets, and CarPlay.
Apple’s iOS 17.4 Update Follows Meta, Google and Microsoft’s Response to the DMA
With the heavy hammer imposed by the DMA in 2022, with the European Commissioners antitrust legislation, tech giants such as Apple, Meta, Google, Microsoft and more have no choice but to adopt changes to their services. For example, besides Apple’s iOS 17.4 adjustments, Google is testing changes to some of its most crucial services, including Search, the Chrome browser, and its Android operating system, by introducing a new browser choice screen during initial device setup, similar to what it already offers to let users pick between different search engines.
On the other hand, Meta will allow its EU users to unlink their Instagram and Facebook accounts, meaning that EU users can use many of Meta’s services without sharing information between them. For example, people can use Facebook Messenger as a stand-alone service without a Facebook account.
Lastly, Microsoft’s Windows 11 upcoming update will allow users in the European Economic Area (EEA) to disable its Bing web search, remove Microsoft Edge, and even add custom web search providers. Microsoft will also allow users to uninstall Camera, Cortana, and Web Search from Microsoft Bing in the EEA, Microsoft Edge in the EEA and Photos.
With iOS 17.4 beta launching today and a public release in March, it is safe to say that Apple is adopting many new features in response to the DMA. As for any future updates on the tech giant, follow our Facebook and Twitter social media pages for daily updates.