iOS Apps From Alternative Marketplaces Can Be Updated for 30 Days Outside of EU

Apple today clarified that iPhone users in the European Union can continue to update and use apps from alternative app marketplaces for a 30-day period when leaving the EU.

App Store vs EU Feature 2
With the release of iOS 17.4, Apple published a number of support documents, and one of the pages outlined what happens when an ‌iPhone‌ user with apps installed through an alternative app marketplace leaves the EU. At the time, the document said that there would be an unspecified "grace period," but Apple has now updated it to provide exact timing.

EU ‌iPhone‌ users who travel outside of the area can expect to be able to update apps installed through alternative app marketplaces for a 30-day period, but after that, apps will not be able to be updated.

Installing alternative app marketplaces and the apps in those marketplaces is restricted to the European Union at all times, so travelers will not be able to install new apps through a marketplace while out of their home country or one of the 27 countries in the EU. Apps that have been downloaded can continue to be opened and used, even if they can't be updated.

If you leave the European Union, you can continue to open and use apps that you previously installed from alternative app marketplaces. Alternative app marketplaces can continue updating those apps for up to 30 days after you leave the European Union, and you can continue using alternative app marketplaces to manage previously installed apps. However, you must be in the European Union to install alternative app marketplaces and new apps from alternative app marketplaces.

Apple makes it clear that ‌iPhone‌ users who want to install apps outside of the App Store must be physically located in a country in the European Union and their Apple ID must also be set to a country or region in the EU. Apple uses privacy-focused on-device processing to determine whether a user is eligible to install an alternative app marketplace.

Popular Stories

apple tv 4k new orange

New Apple TV Expected Later This Year With These New Features

Saturday July 12, 2025 3:09 pm PDT by
A new Apple TV is expected to be released later this year, and a handful of new features and changes have been rumored for the device. Below, we recap what to expect from the next Apple TV, according to rumors. Rumors Faster Wi-Fi Support The next Apple TV will be equipped with Apple's own combined Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. He said the chip supports ...
iphone 16 pro ghost hand

5 Reasons to Skip This Year's iPhone 17 Pro

Thursday July 10, 2025 4:54 am PDT by
Apple will launch its new iPhone 17 series in two months, and the iPhone 17 Pro models are expected to get a new design for the rear casing and the camera area. But more significant changes to the lineup are not expected until next year, when the iPhone 18 models arrive. If you're thinking of trading in your iPhone for this year's latest, consider the following features rumored to be coming...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 16 New Features

Friday July 11, 2025 12:40 pm PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are only two months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models. Latest Rumors These rumors surfaced in June and July:A redesigned Dynamic Island: It has been rumored that all iPhone 17 models will have a redesigned Dynamic Island interface — it might ...
Apple Watch Ultra 2 Complications

Apple Watch Ultra 3: What to Expect

Sunday July 13, 2025 10:30 am PDT by
The long wait for an Apple Watch Ultra 3 is nearly over, and a handful of new features and changes have been rumored for the device. Below, we recap what to expect from the Apple Watch Ultra 3:Satellite connectivity for sending and receiving text messages when Wi-Fi and cellular coverage is unavailable 5G support, up from LTE on the Apple Watch Ultra 2 Likely a wide-angle OLED display that ...
iphone 16 pro pro max

iPhone 17 Pro Models With BOE Displays Will Be Sold in China Only

Thursday July 10, 2025 11:59 pm PDT by
iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max models with displays made by BOE will be sold exclusively in China, according to a new report. Last week, it emerged that Chinese display manufacturer BOE was aggressively ramping up its OLED production capacity for future iPhone models as part of a plan to recapture a major role in Apple's supply chain. Now, tech news aggregator Jukan Choi reports...
top stories 2025 07 12

Top Stories: iPhone 17 Pro Rumors, iOS 26 Beta 3, and More

Saturday July 12, 2025 6:00 am PDT by
The iOS 26 public beta release is quickly approaching, while developers have recently gotten their hands on a third round of betas that has seen Apple continue to tweak features, design, and functionality. We're also continuing to hear rumors about the iPhone 17 lineup that is now just about right around the corner, while Apple's latest big-budget film appears to be taking off, so read on...

Top Rated Comments

erikkfi Avatar
18 months ago
Apple seems hellbent on burning goodwill and getting people to see them as the enemy. Good luck with that strategy in the long term.
Score: 43 Votes (Like | Disagree)
canadianreader Avatar
18 months ago
Apple in charge of everything I don't know why they're calling it alternative.
Score: 29 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Graphikos Avatar
18 months ago

Only 30 days? Most people do vacations for way longer than 30 days, it didn't have to be this complicated at all.
Most people? Really? Way longer?
Score: 29 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sirdir Avatar
18 months ago
Apple has become a controlfreak and a bully. So if I buy software here and move, I can't re-download it or update it after 30 days. Because they are concerned for my security? Yeah sure. I hope they get sued into the ground.
Score: 29 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Account25476 Avatar
18 months ago
They're making things unnecessarily complicated.
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
till Avatar
18 months ago
I don't think Apple has ever done this kind of geofencing before. I used a US account on the App Store for years while I lived in Europe, you just need a US payment method.
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)