Due to regulatory action, Apple has agreed to allow alternative app stores, third-party payment systems for in-app purchases, and in-app links to external offers on iOS in Brazil, according to legal news website MLex and Brazilian blog Tecnoblog.
This means that iPhone users in Brazil would gain access to options beyond Apple's App Store, such as the AltStore from Riley Testut and Shane Gill.
The changes must be implemented within 105 days, so Apple has until early April to roll them out. That timeframe might align with the release of iOS 26.4.
Apple has already allowed alternative app stores and/or third-party payment systems on iOS in the EU, Japan, and South Korea, and it will likely be forced to do so in the UK and Australia too, due to similar regulations across those regions.
AltStore
Apple has opposed alternative app stores due to privacy and security concerns.
"If you prefer using apps that have met all of Apple's App Review Guidelines, including Apple's standards for privacy, security, and quality, you can use the App Store," says Apple, in a support document about alternative app distribution.
Wednesday July 8, 2026 1:54 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
Apple's challenge against the EU's designation of its App Stores and iOS platform as "gatekeepers" was dismissed by Europe's top court on Wednesday, reports Reuters.
"The General Court dismisses Apple's actions regarding its designation as a gatekeeper in relation to the App Store and iOS," the Luxembourg-based tribunal said.Apple took its case to Luxembourg's General Court in 2024 after the...
Thursday July 23, 2026 5:39 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
Google was today fined €890 million ($1 billion) by the European Union for breaching antitrust rules with regard to its search and Google Play store services.
The European Commission found that Google had broken the Digital Markets Act (DMA) by using its dominant position in the search market to favour its own services, like shopping and hotel deals, over those of rivals.
The Commission ...
Apple is facing a new lawsuit from three customers who allegedly lost a combined $1.8 million after falling victim to a fake Bitcoin wallet app in the App Store, according to a complaint filed in California federal court on Friday.
The complaint alleges that Apple violated California's Consumers Legal Remedies Act and other laws by failing to adequately review and monitor apps distributed...
Apple has opposed alternative app stores due to privacy and security concerns.
"If you prefer using apps that have met all of Apple's App Review Guidelines, including Apple's standards for privacy, security, and quality, you can use the App Store," says Apple, in a support document ('https://support.apple.com/en-us/117767') about alternative app distribution.
Is this the same Apple that allowed these apps onto their App Store? Asking for a friend.
Why so hard for everyone to respect other countries laws and regulations?. If you want choice, dint install 3rd party stores. For me, Apple is long due to opening NFC and allowing consumers to decide how to use our paid devices!. Apple is not our nanny.
Apple's first foldable iPhone, with a book-style design featuring a ~5.5-inch outer display and a ~7.8-inch inner display with a minimal crease down the middle.
AltStore
