Apple plans to allow alt app stores and browser engines on iPads in the EU with iPadOS 18 on September 16, after the EU added iPadOS to the DMA in April 2024
Users in the EU can download iPadOS apps on the App Store and through alternative distribution” — https://developer.apple.com/ ... A real clipboard manager on my iPad, let's go 🚀 X: @benlovejoy : Good timing for a quiet announcement ... Adam Martin / @colttrickle : It was a matter of time, but Apple is going to allow third-party app stores on the iPad starting next week, on September 16. This change will occur with the next major release of iPadOS, the operating system specifically designed for the iPad. https://techcrunch.com/... Forums: r/europe : Alternative app stores will be allowed on Apple iPad in the EU from September 16 r/technology : Apple to Allow iPad Users in EU to Download Apps From Third-Party App Stores From September 16
Context & Ripple Effects
Apple’s EU marketplace changes initially left iPadOS outside the new distribution and browser-engine rules because it had not met the relevant threshold, as the earlier iPadOS carve-out made clear. The later DMA designation changes that boundary.
This extends Apple’s EU-specific App Store restructuring beyond iPhone. It also follows web distribution tools for qualifying developers, adding another route for software publishers to reach Apple-device users.
First-order effects
- EU iPad users gain access to apps distributed through alternative marketplaces as well as Apple’s App Store, while developers can target that additional distribution path on iPadOS.
- Browser makers can use browser engines other than Apple’s on EU iPads, giving them a deployment option that was previously unavailable on that platform.
Second-order effects
- Developers and marketplace operators must decide whether iPad reach justifies supporting another EU distribution channel alongside the App Store and web distribution.
- Browser vendors can reassess whether a dedicated iPad offering using their own engine is commercially worthwhile, increasing pressure on Apple’s browser defaults and distribution position in the region.
Third-order effects
- The DMA is pushing platform competition from a single-device question toward coverage of each designated operating system; Apple’s distribution rules may become increasingly product- and region-specific.
- If additional platform surfaces are brought under similar obligations, app distribution and browser competition could shift from a uniform App Store model to a patchwork of regulated access terms.
The trend: This is part of the broader shift toward EU rules unbundling gatekeeper control over app distribution and browser technology on designated operating systems.