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Apple is making significant changes to its policies for developers in the European Union, offering more flexibility around app distribution and promotions. Apple, which allowed alternative application stores to be available with iOS 17.4 last week, now allows these stores to offer applications from their own catalogs. For example, a game studio might create an app store where it offers only its own games.
Developers will be able to decide how to design their in-app promotions, discounts and deals when driving users to complete a transaction through the website. The design templates previously offered by Apple have now become optional.
A new era in application distribution in the European Union from Apple
On the other hand, developers will be able to distribute their applications directly through their websites if they meet certain criteria. These criteria include being a member of the Apple Developer Program for two years or more, having an app that has received over one million initial installs on iOS in the European Union in the previous year, and adhering to ongoing requirements. Apps distributed over the web, like all iOS apps, must meet Apple’s approval requirements and can only be installed from a web domain registered with App Store Connect.
Authorized developers will gain access to APIs to facilitate application distribution over the web, integration with system functionality, backup and restore, etc. With web distribution, it will be possible to download an app directly from a website for the first time on iOS, following a software update in the spring.
These latest changes will only apply within the European Union as part of Apple’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) compliance plan.