EU users of iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 will also receive a new “Default Apps” section in Settings by the end of this year.
Apple users in the EU can now delete the App Store and other default apps on iOS and iPadOS as the company continues to comply with the bloc’s competition rules.
In an update yesterday (August 22), Apple announced that it will be making changes to its browser selection screen and default apps for iOS and iPadOS users in the EU by the end of this year.
“These updates are the result of our ongoing and continued dialogue with the European Commission on compliance with the requirements of the Digital Markets Act in these areas,” the company wrote. The Digital Markets Act (DMA) was introduced in 2022 to crack down on anti-competitive behavior by Big Tech companies.
Apple said developers of browsers featured in the browser choice screen in the EU will be able to show users additional information about their browser. They will also have access to more data about how the choice screen performs. The updated choice screen will be visible to EU users who have Safari as their default browser.
EU users of iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 will also get a new “Default Apps” section in Settings that lists the default apps available to them.
“In future software updates, users will receive new default settings for dialing phone numbers, sending messages, translating text, navigating, managing passwords, keyboards, and call spam filters,” the company said.
In addition to the App Store, EU users will also be able to delete standard Apple apps such as Messages, Photos, Camera and Safari for the first time.
The DMA aims to force larger companies to change their policies to provide a level playing field for smaller companies. One example of this is interoperability – large companies like Apple have to ensure that competing services work on their devices like iPhones.
In a historic move, Apple confirmed earlier this year that it would allow EU users to download apps from rival app stores on iOS. Apple has always stressed that its closed ecosystem is good for security. Despite this exception for the EU market, the company said at the time that it had no plans to extend the changes to other markets.
“The new options for EU apps from developers inevitably create new risks for Apple users and their devices. Apple cannot eliminate these risks, but within the limitations of the DMA, the company will take steps to reduce them,” the company wrote at the time.
“With each change, Apple introduces new safeguards that reduce – but do not eliminate – the new risks the DMA introduces for EU users.”
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