After complying with the Digital Markets Act early this year and opening up the iPhone App Store to sideloading and third-party marketplaces, Apple is about to make even more changes for users in the European Union.
According to a blog post, Apple will make changes to the browser choice screen, default apps, and app deletion for iPhone and iPad users in the EU.
For the browser choice screen, Apple says it will display additional information about the web browsers available to iPhone and iPad users, including more data about their performance.
iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 will include a new Default Apps section in Settings that lists all of the default apps available to users. Apple says that future updates will offer users new default settings for dialing phone numbers, sending messages, translating text, navigation, managing passwords, keyboards, and call spam filters.
Apple also revealed that EU users will be able to delete the App Store, Messages, Photos, Camera, and Safari apps. Currently, users can remove some default apps, but it’s impossible to delete Messages, App Store, and others, as Apple claimed it would break integration with the system. It seems Apple found a way to separate these apps from the system.
It’s important to note that Apple will soon offer the same level of customization for the iPad as it does with the iPhone, as the European Commission decided that the iPadOS actually works as a gatekeeping software as well.
Recently, Apple also changed its App Store and third-party marketplace rules for European users, and it’s possible that more changes are coming. The company might have to stop charging the Core Technology Fee developers have to pay if they opt to offer their apps outside the App Store.
