Apple was forced to make the biggest iPhone change ever, but Britain will miss out for now
APPLE will allow alternative app stores to appear on iPhones bought in the EU, following a regulatory row with the bloc.
This not only offers iPhone owners a new selection of free apps, but also lower costs in Apple's official App Store.
Currently, iPhone users around the world can only download apps through Apple's own App Store.
But the company has been accused of creating a monopoly in the app world by giving developers no choice but to go through their own channels and pay for the privilege of doing so.
Apple charges developers up to 30 percent commission on all in-app purchases.
This regime has resulted in developers who do not meet Apple's standards, or do not agree to pay the fees, being banned from all Apple gadgets and their users.
It's this rule that led to Fortnite being banned from the App Store in 2020, after developer Epic Games violated its in-app payment guidelines.
Analysts believe that games are the biggest contributor to spending on the App Store, which in turn is the largest part of Apple's $46 billion a year (£35 billion) services segment.
It will be a historic overhaul of the App Store by Apple, as the Silicon Valley giant bows to the EU before the bloc imposes tough new antitrust rules.
“The changes we are announcing today meet the requirements of the Digital Markets Act in the European Union, while helping protect EU users from the inevitable increased privacy and security threats that these regulations pose,” Apple said.
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What does this look like for EU iPhones?
Analysis by Millie Turner, Tech & Science Reporter for The Sun
For those in the EU, not much will change on the surface.
But under the hood, users get a new button in the Settings app to set their favorite alternative app store as the default app store if desired.
When using a third-party app store, users in the EU will receive a pop-up warning if an app contains malware.
There are also new screens to verify the information from an alternative app.
Apps distributed through Apple's official App Store will pay a lower commission – about 17 percent less than before – which could pave the way for slightly cheaper apps and in-app items and features.
Meanwhile, apps distributed through alternative app stores receive no commission, suggesting that these apps could be priced even cheaper.
What iPhone users in the EU will now have to grapple with are the realities of so-called sideloading apps – which can often be malware Trojans.
British users will miss it – for now – after the country made the decision to leave the EU in 2016.
Although the UK's Digital Markets Bill, currently going through Parliament, is likely to put Apple's practices under similar scrutiny.
Side loading
Downloading apps from unofficial app stores is a common practice known as sideloading.
Apple has always had a clear ban on sideloading apps.
The company has warned that while it will impose high standards on all new alternative apps and stores, it believes the move will pose additional security risks for customers.
Although Google has always warned users about it, Android owners can sideload apps onto their devices.
As a result, malware is much more common on Android devices than on Apple devices, according to experts.
What are the risks of sideloading?
Experts at Bitdefender say so themselves, but “the Android ecosystem is known for its exposure to security risks due to sideloaded apps.”
Last year, the security firm suggested in a report that iOS users could find themselves in the same boat as Android owners if Apple were to comply with the EU's new Digital Markets Act.
Now that the sideloading ship has sailed, let's take a look at some of the risks of third-party app stores.
“While sideloading can provide access to a wider range of apps and services, it poses many security risks,” experts wrote.
“The biggest problem associated with sideloading is unknowingly installing malware on your device yourself.
“Sideloaded apps do not undergo the same stringent security checks as those distributed through official app stores.
“Therefore, malicious actors can spread malicious software that can perform malicious activities.”
Besides malware, other risks include system crashes due to compatibility issues between the app and your phone's operating system.
Less privacy is also a major problem, as sideloaded apps can request excessive permissions or access to sensitive data on your device without appropriate oversight.
This can lead to unauthorized access to your photos, contacts and location data.
These apps can also be lax when it comes to security updates.
“Developers who sell their software outside of official locations may not be as diligent in responding to security or privacy concerns,” experts added.
“This means your security updates may arrive late or never.”