In addition to adding support for alternative app markets and alternative payment methods in the European Union, Apple is making several other changes to comply with the provisions of the Digital Markets Act. Apple outlined some of its upcoming plans in a DMA compliance report today [PDF].
Apple will make it easier for iPhone users to switch to another operating system in the European Union. Apple says it is working on a solution that will help mobile operating system providers create “easier-to-use solutions” for transferring data from an iPhone to a non-Apple phone. The solution will be available by the fall of 2025, after which companies like Samsung and Google will be able to offer better tools for transferring data from the iPhone.
EU iPhone users will be able to completely remove Safari from their devices starting in late 2024, with an alternative browser able to replace Safari. As part of this plan, Apple is developing a browser switching solution to export and import browser data to another browser on the same device. Apple has already started supporting alternative web browser engines, another DMA requirement.
To improve interoperability between the iPhone and other smartphone platforms, Apple allows third-party payment apps to access the iPhone NFC chip for non-Apple Pay contactless payments, plus allows developers to request additional interoperability.
Interoperability requirements are evaluated on a case-by-case basis to determine whether they are within the scope of the DMA and whether an effective interoperability solution can be developed.
EU developers can request additional mediation that goes beyond the standard application review board assessment. Developers who want to challenge unsuccessful appeals to the App Review Board can request mediation, a process Apple says is “EU-based, easily accessible, impartial, independent and free of charge.”
All these changes are limited to developers and users in the European Union as they are prescribed by the Digital Markets Act.
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