Apple will now Allow EU Users to Download Apps via Websites, Not Just App Store

Apple has made significant changes to iOS app distribution in the European Union by allowing developers to offer iPhone apps for direct download to EU users from their own websites, a practice known as web distribution. This change, starting Tuesday, enables developers who meet Apple’s criteria, including app notarization requirements, to distribute apps outside of the App Store. This is a departure from the previous model, which restricted app distribution to the App Store only, and comes as a response to new regulations under the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA).

To distribute iOS apps directly to EU users, developers must opt into Apple’s new EU business terms and fulfill certain criteria, such as being in good standing with Apple's developer program and meeting app notarization requirements. Developers will be able to access the entitlement for direct app distribution through beta 2 of iOS 17.5. They must also attest to handle IP disputes, government takedown requests, and commit to providing customer service for their apps, as Apple will not support apps downloaded outside its App Store.

The 'core technology fee' is a new charge introduced by Apple for EU developers, set at €0.50 for each first annual install over 1 million in the past 12 months, regardless of where the apps are distributed. This fee is part of Apple's new EU business terms, and developers wishing to avoid it must remain on Apple’s old business terms, which means they cannot access any of the DMA entitlements.

Apple has implemented several security measures for iOS users downloading apps from the web to maintain platform integrity and user safety. These measures include:

• Notarization requirements for all apps distributed from the web, ensuring a baseline safety and security standard.
• A multi-step authorization flow for the first-time download of an app from a developer's website, requiring users to grant permission through the iOS settings menu and subsequent pop-ups.
• Information display during the authorization process, including basic app info, screenshots, and a link to more details, to help users make informed decisions.

Apple argues that these steps are reasonable security measures permitted by the DMA.

Critics of Apple's approach to DMA compliance have labeled the pop-ups and authorization flows designed by Apple as 'scare screens.' They argue that these measures are intended to inject friction and dissuade iOS users from downloading apps outside of Apple's App Store by implying that direct downloads carry more risks. Additionally, Apple's approach to other elements of DMA compliance, such as rules on anti-steering and the design of choice screens for browser alternatives, is under investigation by the European Commission, which is scrutinizing whether Apple's implementation meets the demands of the law.