It was only a matter of time, but Apple will allow third-party app stores on the iPad starting next week on September 16. The change will come into effect in the next major release of iPadOS, the operating system designed specifically for the iPad.
The move is linked to the European Union's Digital Markets Act (DMA), a set of rules on market fairness and promoting competition. Last fall, the European Commission published a list of six technology companies that were designated “gatekeepers” because they operate so-called “core platform services” (CPS). A seventh has since been added.
Regarding Apple, the European Commission initially designated three products and services as CPS: the mobile operating system iOS, the app distribution marketplace App Store, and the web browser Safari. It then announced in April that it would add Apple's iPadOS to the list.
Although the number of iPadOS users does not meet the criteria for DMA eligibility, the Commission said it has some discretion in making the designation and believes it has a strong lock-in effect, especially for business users.
Apple had six months to update iPadOS and ensure it complies with the DMA. Friday's announcement means that starting with iPadOS 18, users in the EU will be able to install alternative app stores. Similarly, web browser developers will be able to release browsers for the iPad using their own browser engines.
Given the different DMA compliance timelines for iOS, the recent changes to iOS in the EU may be an indicator of what will happen for iPad users there.
There are currently five third-party app stores available for iOS in the EU, including AltStore PAL, the first alternative app marketplace available for iOS in the EU, where you can download video game emulator app Delta, virtual machine app UTM, torrent app iTorrent, and more.
Apps will be certified by Apple before being released on alternative app stores for security reasons, and app developers will also have to sign new terms of business with Apple and pay a controversial “core technology fee” above a certain threshold.
Epic Games has also launched an alternative iOS app store in the EU, allowing users to download and play Fortnite, Rocket League Sideswipe and Fall Guys on their iPhones, and the company has already announced plans to bring Fortnite and other games to the iPad.
As for web browsers, third-party browsers like Chrome and Firefox have been available for some time, but they all use Apple's own browser engine, WebKit, to load web content. Technology companies have not yet taken advantage of the DMA to release EU-specific browser apps for European users.