The iOS 17.5 developer beta is out and allows iPhone users to download apps directly from websites as long as they are located within the European Union. Apple is taking action to control apps distributed outside the App Store after it was forced to allow sideloading due to the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA).
Developers who wish to offer their apps for download via the website must be enrolled in the Apple Developer Program for at least two continuous years, have an app with more than one million first-time installs on iOS in the EU in the past year, and comply with Apple’s notarization process, including providing clear data collection rules.
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Once qualified, Apple will grant those app developers access to the Web Downloads API. Apps downloaded from the website should look and behave like other apps downloaded from the App Store. Users can back up, restore and update these apps like others.
This is the first time Apple has officially allowed sideloading of apps on iPhones, allowing developers to avoid paying Apple commissions of up to 30%. Developers of apps distributed outside of the App Store will continue to be subject to an underlying technology fee of €0.50.
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The DMA forced Apple to allow side-loading of apps in the EU from March 2024. Although Apple originally planned to make side-loaded apps available only through alternative marketplaces, the company announced in March that it would also allow apps to be downloaded directly from websites.
Since DMA only covers the EU, the ability to sideload these apps is limited to iPhone users living in the EU. Downloading apps directly from the website is only available on iPhone, not iPad.