Next week, Apple will allow iPad owners in the European Union to download apps from third-party digital content stores. This will happen with the launch of iPadOS 18, which will be generally available on September 16th. This change in company policy is aimed at achieving compliance with the region’s Digital Markets Act (DMA).
Image Source: Epic Games
To date, several third-party digital content stores, such as Setapp Mobile, AllStore PAL and Epic Games Store, are already available to iPhone users in the European Union. Earlier this year, Epic Games announced that the company’s platform would receive iPad support before the end of this year. This means that Fortnite fans in Europe will soon be able to use their iPads to interact with the game.
Apple had six months to change its app distribution policies to comply with the DMA. The company had to not only allow apps to be downloaded from third-party stores, but also provide the ability to remove pre-installed apps on the iPad and allow users to choose their own default apps. In addition to this, Apple has opened up iOS and iPadOS to apps that use alternative browser engines other than WebKit.