The iPhone’s app ecosystem is about to go through its biggest shake-up since the App Store launched in 2008. Today, Apple announced how it plans to change the rules for developers releasing iOS software in the European Union in response to the bloc’s Digital Markets Act coming into force in March. The big news is that third-party app stores will be allowed on iOS for the first time, breaking the Apple App Store’s position as the sole distributor of iPhone apps.
The App Store itself is also opening up to allow game streaming services globally, which, until now, have been all but banned under Apple’s existing policies. As announced last week by the European Commission, Apple is also preparing to allow developers in the European Economic Area to offer NFC payments in their third-party apps. The DMA effect These changes are likely to be seized upon by developers that have been critical of Apple’s control over iOS app distribution.