Riley Testutcreator of AltStore (a store that lets you download apps without the App Store), has revealed how users in the European Union will be able to install apps without the App Store in iOS 17.4, via its alternative storefront.
Featured on Threadsthe process is simple — AltStore will probably be downloadable from Testuto’s AltStore page. Once installed, users can choose from available apps, and an ‘Install App’ button will appear — followed by a prompt for users to make sure they want to install the app, and… that’s it. There will be relatively few hoops to jump through.
AltStore already offers apps that are not allowed in the Apple App Store — such as Deltaa gaming emulator, also created by Testut, that can run games from Nintendo and SEGA consoles of the past.
Back in January, iMore spoke to Testuto about his thoughts on Apple allowing new App Stores in the EU. He stated that he was “Honestly, extremely excited!”
“This was more or less exactly which I have been hoping for since I started AltStore almost 5 years ago, and it was incredibly surreal to read all the documentation.”
That enthusiasm still lasts, as Testut u mentioned in the meantime another Threads post that AltStore and Delta will soon launch for iPhone users in the EU.
With the Digital Markets Act now in force, Apple has been forced to make changes to the way the iPhone works in EU countries, such as allowing third-party app stores on an Apple device for the first time.
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I previously installed AltStore through a different process in the past — I had to install an app called AltServer on my Mac, as well as the Mail app plugin, which together made the store appear on my iPhone. Both Testut’s store and Delta are well designed and I could easily play Nintendo 64 games on mine iPhone 15 Pro Max.
It looks like we’re on the cusp of multiple app stores coming soon for EU users – for example, following Epic Games’ developer program was forbiddenwhich Apple then unbanned, its Epic Games Store will soon debut on iPhone, where you’ll be able to download and play Fortnite in the EU.
Once AltStore is released, I expect a many apps that come to the store that simply aren’t allowed in Apple’s App Store. For example, we could see more virtualization applications like UTM are coming, offering similar functions as those The Parallels Desktop application provides on Mac.
I’m excited to see all of these possibilities become a reality — I just hope that Apple eventually allows this EU change to apply to other countries in the future.