Apple recently released the first beta version of iOS 17.5 for developers. As it turns out, the latest iOS 17.5 beta 1 includes the ability to download apps from developer websites, but this is limited to users located in the European Union, and as stated earlier, if users leave the EU for too long, they’re missing out.
Apple previously began allowing developers to offer apps through other third-party app stores in the EU to comply with the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA). But now things have changed as Cupertino is taking it a step further by allowing developers to offer apps directly from their websites.
However, there is always a catch with such updates. The catch is that developers offering their apps must have been part of Apple’s developer program for at least two years, and their apps must have achieved nearly one million first-time installs on iOS in the EU in the previous year. If that’s not enough, developers must get Apple’s seal of approval through a public ledger, and they should also be clear about how they collect user data
So the iOS 17.5 beta update means you can download, backup, update and do more with these apps just like others in the EU. Undoubtedly, this is a big deal as it is the first time that Apple has given the green light to download apps directly from websites. So, you can download your favorite apps on your iPhone if the developers agree to Apple’s terms.
Moreover, apps downloaded from the web don’t owe Apple money, but they do have to pay a €0.50 ($0.54) fee. Developers have to accept this if they are moving away from the App Store. Like other app stores, you can get apps from the web in the EU, but only on iPhones. iPads are left out of the picture though.
Over it