Apple to Allow iPad Users in EU to Download Apps From Third-Party App Stores From September 16

Apple has announced it will allow iPad apps to be sold via third-party app stores in the European Union from Monday, September 16, coinciding with the release of iPadOS 18.

App Store vs EU Feature 2
The move follows Apple's tolerance in the bloc for alternative app stores on iPhones, which happened earlier this year in compliance with the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA).

Apple's iPad operating system was designated by the European Commission as a "core platform service" in April under the rules of the DMA, joining iOS, the App Store, and Safari.

Although iPadOS user numbers fell below the threshold for inclusion under the DMA, the Commission retains some flexibility in its designations and noted significant lock-in effects, especially for business users. The Commission gave Apple six months to update iPadOS and make it compliant with the DMA. Apple later confirmed that it would bring all of the app ecosystem changes made to iOS in the European Union to iPadOS in the fall.

After installing iPadOS 18, iPad users in the EU will be able to install alternative app stores, while developers will be able to release alternative browsers based on their own browser engines, instead of Apple's WebKit.

Currently there are a handful of third-party app marketplaces available to iPhone users in the EU. One of them, Epic Games, has already said that it plans to bring Fortnite and its other games to iPad. Other enforced changes include allowing users to delete Apple's pre-loaded apps, and choose alternative default apps, including browsers.

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Top Rated Comments

mrat93 Avatar
14 months ago
I’d choose this over iOS 18 and AI.
Score: 29 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Tyler O'Bannon Avatar
14 months ago
Worldwide plz k thx bye

EDIT: I hope these laugh reactions are because the post is funny, because it’s definitely correct.
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Villarrealadrian Avatar
14 months ago
It would be great to also let us install linux on iphones and ipads apple doesnt want to keep updating
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sw1tcher Avatar
14 months ago
Makes sense to allow alternative app store for the iPad as well. Silly to prevent an iPhone user who has 3rd party apps and wants to continue doing whatever they're doing (e.g. playing a game) on a larger screen device (their iPad) and can't because Apple said no, but they can on a Mac.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mac mini power user Avatar
14 months ago
These changes might make even more sense for the iPad than the iPhone, given the constraints posed imposed by iPadOS on the hardware. However, we'll have to see to which extent these alternative App Stores will provide useful software for iPad.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Stromos Avatar
14 months ago

How does this relate to Google now trying to block people from side loading? What's happening there?
Google isn't blocking people from side loading. Google is allowing developers to block people from side loading their app. Something Apple should do as well so this new Appstore change doesn't turn into a piracy/snapchatplus fiasco.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)