Apple has It will allow iPad users in the EU to install third-party app stores on their tablets (without having to download them locally) starting September 16. To do so, you'll need to install iPadOS 18, which will be generally available on Monday.
In April, the European Commission designated iPadOS a “core platform service,” meaning that like iOS, the App Store and Safari, the operating system is subject to stricter rules under the bloc’s Digital Markets Act. TechnologyCrunch Notes: Apple had six months to update iPadOS to comply with the DMA, which included opening the platform to third-party app marketplaces.
Epic Games has already committed to bringing its app marketplace to iPadOS, meaning people in the EU should be able to play it. Fortnite and Fall Guys In the near future, natively on compatible iPads. Since Apple released iOS 11, other third-party app stores have already arrived in the EU.
While app stores like the Epic Games Store aren’t subject to Apple’s usual app review policies, the company does certify them for safety. Third-party app store developers must also do so with Apple once they reach certain thresholds (the EU went into effect in March).
Another key change coming to iPads with the release of iPadOS 18 is an underlying one, but it’s one that may ultimately change the way EU users browse the web on their iPads. Apple will allow third-party browsers to use their own engines on iPadOS rather than having to employ its own WebKit. This means that companies like Mozilla and Google will be able to offer iPad versions of Firefox and Chrome that .
