Apple has announced another series of changes to its App Store and its iPhone and iPad policies in the European Union. After opening iPhones to alternative app stores with iOS 17.4, the manufacturer is expanding the standard app controls, making additional standard apps deletable and updating the browser selection screen. The App Store should also be able to be deleted – but the manufacturer is making reinstallation as easy as possible.
iPhone and iPad: Browser selection window also when migrating from old to new iPhone
The EU did not consider Apple's concessions regarding the Digital Markets Act (DMA) to go far enough, as EU Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager made clear in June 2024, among other things. Now Apple is further opening its platforms for iPhones and iPads, which is likely a response to pressure from the EU.
Apple has to adjust the choice of default browser on iPhone and iPad. (Image: Apple)
According to Apple, the further opening of iOS and iPads in the EU includes a new browser selection menu in which users can choose from twelve apps displayed in a random order. In addition to Apple's Safari, these include Chrome, Edge and others.
The complete list of selectable browsers:
- Aloha
- Brave
- chrome
- DuckDuckGo
- Ecosia
- edge
- Fire Fox
- Web@Work
- Onion Browser
- opera
- safari
- Sie.com
Apple explains that the new selection screen will appear even if users had selected Safari as their default browser in iOS 17.4 and they open the Apple browser for the first time after the later update. However, the selection screen will not appear if a user has already set a browser other than Safari as their default.
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Even when switching to a new device, users will see the browser selection menu if (and only if) the previously selected default browser was Safari. The quick selection is not enough: users have to scroll through the entire list before they can confirm their choice.
Standard app selection on iPhones and iPads is expanded
New options will soon be available on iPhones and iPads that will allow users to set additional default apps for navigation and more. (Image: Apple)
In addition to the changes to browser choice, Apple is also introducing changes to the default settings for other apps. With a future update of iOS 18 and iPadOS 18, a new “Default Apps” section will be integrated into the settings. In this section, users will be able to manage their default settings in the future.
So far, default apps such as the browser, the mail app, the app marketplace and contactless apps can be set. According to Apple, numerous other options will be added over the course of the year: users will then be able to set the default settings for phone calls, messages, password managers, keyboards and spam filters.
According to Apple, additional options will be added to iOS and iPadOS in the EU in spring 2025: Users will then also be able to specify which navigation apps and translation tools they want to use as standard.
You probably don’t know these iPhone features yet
You probably don’t know these iPhone features yet
Deletable apps: EU further guts Apple's iPhones and iPads
In addition, users will also be able to completely delete Apple's App Store, the Messages app, the standard camera app, Photos and Safari from their iPhones and iPads. With this step, the EU is forcing the removal and, in a sense, “gutting” of elementary parts of the Apple ecosystem from iPhones and iPads. According to Apple, only the settings and the phone app cannot be deleted.
When asked, Apple explains how users can get the App Store back on their iPhones and iPads:
“If a user wants to re-download the App Store, they can do so in the App Installation section of Settings. The other apps can be reinstalled through the App Store.”
It is unclear when the new AI functions for iPhones, iPads and Macs can be expected in the EU. In June, the manufacturer decided against integrating Apple Intelligence in the EU. In addition to Apple Intelligence, other functions such as iPhone mirroring are also left out.
Apple stated: “We are concerned that the DMA's interoperability requirements may require us to compromise the integrity of our products in a way that endangers users' privacy and data security.”
