The Power of Alternative App Stores

Coming soon to iPads near you

It’s happening.

Starting September 16, you’ll be able to download apps from third-party stores on your iPad if you are in the EU.

This change comes with iPadOS 18, and it's a huge shift for Apple, triggered by the European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA). Let's break it down.

Why Now? The EU's Digital Markets Act 🇪🇺

Photo by Christian Lue on Unsplash

The DMA is a set of rules designed to ensure fairness and competition in the tech world.

Last year, the European Commission named six major tech companies as “gatekeepers” because they control important digital services. Apple made the list thanks to its control over iOS, the App Store, and Safari.

This year, the EU added iPadOS to the list.

Even though the number of iPad users didn’t technically meet the DMA’s threshold, the EU said there’s enough of a “locked-in” effect, especially for business users.

Apple had six months to make sure iPadOS complies. Let’s see what happened.

What’s Changing? 🛠️

Photo by Elena Mozhvilo on Unsplash

With iPadOS 18, users in the EU will be able to install apps from alternative app stores.

Web developers can also launch their own browsers for the iPad, breaking free from Apple’s WebKit engine. This is a game-changer for anyone who’s felt stuck with the App Store's limitations.

Look at iOS for Clues 🔍

Photo by Jeremy Bishop on Unsplash

iOS went through these changes first.

There are now five third-party app stores available for iOS users in the EU. One popular example is AltStore PAL, which offers cool apps like Delta (a video game emulator), UTM (a virtual machine app), and even iTorrent (for, you guessed it, torrents).

Apple still plays a part in the process, though.

Apps have to be notarized by Apple for security and developers need to sign new agreements.

Oh, and there’s also a controversial “Core Technology Fee” if you pass a certain sales threshold. This is kinda weird. Read more into it if you’re interested.

Epic Games and the iPad 🎮

Photo by ELLA DON on Unsplash

Remember when Epic Games had that fight with Apple over Fortnite?

With this change, Epic’s back.

They’ve already launched their own store for iOS, and now, they’re bringing Fortnite and other games like Rocket League Sideswipe and Fall Guys to the iPad via third-party stores.

What About Web Browsers? 🌐

Photo by Luke Chesser on Unsplash

We’ve had third-party browsers like Chrome and Firefox on iPads for a while.

The problem? They’ve all been forced to use Apple’s WebKit.

Now, with these DMA changes, we might see new browser engines. That would be sick.

So far, none have been released, but it’s something to watch out for.

Final Thoughts 💭

This is a huge moment for iPad users, especially in the EU. I’m hyped.

Thanks for reading!

Adi

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