With the release of iOS 17.4, iPhone users in the European Union can access third-party app stores, but Apple warns that EU users traveling outside the bloc will only have a “grace period” before some features stop working altogether when they’re away.
From Apple’s support document detailing alternative app markets:
If you leave the European Union for a short-term trip, you will still have access to alternative application markets during the grace period. If you’re away for too long, you’ll lose access to some features, including installing new alternative app markets. Apps you’ve installed from alternative app markets will continue to work, but they can’t be updated by the market you downloaded them from.
We have contacted Apple for clarification on the duration of this “grace period” and are awaiting a response.
Apple is allowing iPhone users in the EU to access alternative app stores to comply with the regulatory framework of the Digital Markets Act, which comes into effect for all 27 countries included in the bloc on March 7. The change means users can download apps from markets outside of Apple’s App Store for the first time.
In iOS 17.4, EU users concerned about the potential privacy, security and safety risks of alternative app markets can set their preferred alternative app store as the default app store on their device via Settings. The Screen Time setting also allows parents to decide whether their children’s devices can install apps from alternative app markets.
To gain access to alternative app markets, the user’s Apple ID country or region must be set to one of the EU countries or regions and must be physically located in the EU. Apple says that a device’s eligibility to access alternative app markets is determined using on-device processing, and only an indication of eligibility is sent to Apple. To preserve user privacy, Apple does not collect device location information.
The first alternative app market will launch in the EU this week. German IT services provider Mobivention will launch its business-focused Mobivention App Marketplace on Thursday. MacPaw also announced that it will offer an alternative app market sometime in April, while Epic Games also plans to launch one.
For more details on changes to the App Store and more in the EU, read our previous report. The changes do not apply outside the EU, nor do they apply to iPadOS in any country.