Apple Will Allow Users to Download Apps From the Internet (in the EU)
In a developer newsletter on Tuesday, Apple shared some startling news: Later this spring, authorized developers will be able to distribute their iOS apps to EU users from the developer’s website itself.
It’s a dramatic departure from the norm for Apple Inc., adding to other dramatic changes the European Commission has forced the company to adopt. Developers will not only be able to sell their apps on app stores they create themselves, bypassing Apple’s official app store, but they will also be able to share those apps directly. This is a form of what’s known as sideloading—the ability to download apps to your phone outside of the official app store. Until this year, the idea was virtually unthinkable for the iPhone without first jailbreaking the device.
Of course, this is Apple we’re talking about, so the company will retain some control here . Apple will distribute several APIs to authorized developers to properly deploy this feature: These APIs will allow apps to be downloaded from the web, integrate app downloading with other iOS features, and enable backup so users can re-download purchased apps in the future, among other purposes . Additionally, any app offered through this system must still meet the same notarization requirements as the App Store, and any websites used must be registered through Apple’s App Store Connect platform. Users who want to download apps from a developer’s site must first approve that developer in Settings.
Not all developers can use this service either. Apple states that to be eligible for web distribution, developers must be enrolled in the Apple Developer Program and registered in the EU, and must have participated in the Apple Developer Program for at least two consecutive years, and the application must have over one million first year installs on iOS in the EU in the previous calendar year. This is in addition to other various requirements such as selling apps only from that specific developer account, maintaining communication with Apple regarding your apps and services, maintaining a transparent data collection policy and offering them to users in accordance with the law (lol). , and also promptly respond to requests to remove application lists, if the need arises.
Sideloading services are also not exempt from Apple’s “Core Technology Fee” (CTF), which it charges EU developers selling apps through third-party app stores or, now, online. While the first million installs on these platforms are free, Apple says developers will have to pay a CTF of €0.50 for each subsequent annual install for the last 12 months. Since you need at least one million installs per year to join this program, these developers will owe Apple that €0.50 per install. However, there is a fee waiver for non-profit organizations, accredited educational institutions and EU government agencies.
However, it will be a far cry from the sideloading experience that users have on Android. Both developers and users will have to contend with the friction imposed by Apple, which could push developers toward more traditional app sales (Apple’s likely goal). However, it will be interesting to see how this plays out in the first year or so of this new platform: if Apple-led sideloading proves successful, it could get a bigger push in the US and other non-EU countries. .
This isn’t the only change Apple shared today. In addition, third-party app stores can now offer a catalog of apps from the marketplace developer, and developers now have complete design freedom when linking users to an external purchase. Apple used to require developers to use the company’s own templates, but this is no longer required.