iPadOS 16.1 beta code indicates that iOS 16.1 could let users delete the Wallet app, following EU antitrust concerns over Apple Pay
Apple on Tuesday surprised developers with the release of both iOS 16.0 beta 7 and iPadOS 16.1 beta 1. And while neither update comes with significant changes …
Context & Ripple Effects
During the iOS 16 test cycle, Apple had already added Apple Pay support in non-Safari browsers, a change related coverage linked to European regulatory pressure. The decision to ship iPadOS 16.1 separately from iOS explains why iPad beta code is revealing possible iPhone changes; the Wallet finding points to another potential reduction in Apple’s control over the app’s presence on devices.
First-order effects
- The code suggests Apple is testing a removable Wallet app for iOS 16.1; if shipped, users would be able to decide whether the app remains installed.
- Apple gains an OS-level response to scrutiny of Apple Pay that is distinct from opening Apple Pay to Chrome, Firefox, and Edge.
Second-order effects
- European regulators would have a concrete change in Wallet’s default distribution to evaluate alongside Apple’s browser-payment interoperability move.
- Apple’s control of Apple Pay would be examined across multiple access points—browser support and the preinstalled Wallet app—rather than through the Wallet app alone.
Third-order effects
- The later EU opening of iPadOS to alternate app stores and browser engines places the Wallet signal within a broader pattern of platform access changes driven by European rules.
- If that pattern holds, Apple’s regional compliance strategy will increasingly separate core platform defaults and distribution controls from the underlying services they support.
The trend: European regulation is pushing Apple to unbundle default apps, browser access, and software distribution from the services tied to its platforms.