Third-Party App Stores Could Soon Compete With Apple App Store

Apple is finally thinking of allowing third-party app stores to coexist. It is major news for a company whose rules earned it the title of a “walled garden.” On most occasions, Apple execs have denied any scope of allowing third-party app installs on the Apple devices like Android supports, all in the name of security. But European Union regulations and constant pressure from other tech companies leave no choice for Apple but to allow the existence of third-party app stores for iOS and iPad OS.

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman did a detailed report on how the EU’s new policy would force Apple to offer app sideloading on iPhones and iPad in European countries. As per the report, the EU is apple’s second biggest consumer market, and not complying with the new rules could result in a shrinking revenue stream for the company.

Why does Apple not allow Third-Party App Stores?

Apple cites security as the prominent reason to sideload any app on an iOS device. It claims to be more secure than Android due to the fact that it prevents any kind of side-loading on its devices. The only way around that is jailbreaking the iPhone – an idea that doesn’t sound too appealing to most users. So, you have to stick with what the company says.

But Apple isn’t concerned about security only. The hefty commissions it earns from the App Store make it a trouble to allow side-loading apps. If that were to happen, Apple would lose the 30% commissions on app installs and subscription purchases. Match Group has already objected to this, and the Epic Games lawsuit is another such incident. But don’t be happy that you will be able to install apps from other sources on your iPhone everywhere.

EU is the only one to pressure Apple and keep its monopolistic activities in check. So, it will comply with the new norms there and has already started work on allowing such features with the release of iOS 17. But other countries haven’t raised any concerns regarding Apple’s restrictions. So, app side-loading will happen in the future but not in every country.