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In brief: iPadOS 18 now officially supports third-party app stores in Europe. Apple fought against the Digital Markets Act regulations, which were designed to enhance competition and improve user choice within the EU's common market, but ultimately lost.
Revised App Review Guidelines are now being applied to iPadOS 18, the latest version of its iPad-exclusive operating system. The OS will give European users the ability to access apps from third-party sources beyond the traditional App Store embedded within the OS.
The change was mandated after iPadOS was classified as a "core platform service" under the EU's Digital Markets Act in April. Apple initially contested the reclassification, arguing that the platform's user base was too small to meet the DMA's requirements. However, the EU ultimately deemed iPadOS and iPad devices significant "gateways" for European consumers, forcing Apple to comply with the regulations in iPadOS 18.
App developers will need to agree to the "Alternative Terms Addendum for Apps" before publishing on third-party stores. Some alternative app marketplaces, such as Setapp Mobile, AltStore PAL, and the Epic Games Store, have already launched on iOS, and similar outlets are expected to arrive soon.
iPadOS 18 introduces significant changes to the app ecosystem. One key update is that browsers packaged as iPadOS apps can now use alternative browser engines, replacing the platform's native WebKit engine. This feature is available for devices running iOS 17.4 or iPadOS 18, but major developers like Google and Mozilla have yet to take full advantage of it.
Additionally, the latest versions of iPadOS and iOS give users more control over managing system apps. Many default tools for phone calls, text messages, and on-screen keyboards can now be removed, uninstalled, and replaced with third-party alternatives. By 2025, Apple plans to expand the range of native apps that can be uninstalled or swapped for alternatives.
However, Apple does not plan to backport these changes to earlier versions of iPadOS. Compatibility with third-party app stores is exclusive to iPadOS 18, meaning older devices will not support this feature. Currently, 77 percent of iPads sold in the last four years are running iPadOS 17, with 15 percent still on iPadOS 16 and eight percent on even older versions.