Apple Must Enable Support for Sideloading Apps on iOS by the EU's DMA Deadline of March 6.
Apple is expected to enable support for sideloading apps on iOS by March 6 to comply with the European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), and details of the company’s plans to deal with the changes are now emerging. While the company is yet to announce when support for installing applications outside the App Store will be allowed in the EU, a report states that the company will set up processes to review — and possibly charge developers for — these apps.
The Wall Street Journal reports that Apple plans to enable support for sideloading iOS apps in the EU but will also implement new methods to review apps that are installed outside the App Store. While the iPhone maker currently has full control over how apps are distributed on its smartphones — including vetting and reviewing individual app updates — that is set to change in March when users in the EU will be able to install applications outside the App Store.
It is currently unclear how Apple will restrict apps that are not distributed outside the App Store, but the company uses a security mechanism called Gatekeeper that enforces code signing and download verification of apps downloaded outside the macOS App Store. Apple can technically revoke the certificates for malicious apps, preventing them from running on a user’s device. It is also unclear how Apple plans to review apps that are sideloaded by users on iOS.
The report indicates that Apple is contemplating implementing charges for developers distributing apps outside the App Store. Currently, Apple earns a commission ranging from 27 percent to 30 percent on all app purchases and in-app purchases (IAPs) made through the App Store. If developers opt to distribute their apps independently, Apple stands to lose this revenue.
Whether Apple will introduce support for sideloading with the upcoming iOS 17.4 release or leverage existing code from the recently rolled-out iOS 17.3 remains to be seen. As the DMA deadline approaches, more details about Apple’s strategy for managing iOS app sideloading in the EU are expected to emerge in the coming weeks.