Apple officially released iOS 17.4 yesterday, one of the biggest iOS updates yet. Most of the changes introduced are only visible in the territories of the European Union since this update has incorporated all the changes to comply with the Digital Markets Act. Among these changes is the ability to install apps from alternative app stores. These stores They will stop working if we leave the European Union permanently, as Apple shared in a new support document detailing how this feature works and is regulated.
Apple details the ins and outs of alternative app stores in iOS 17.4
As we said, one of the main novelties of iOS 17.4 is the introduction of what Apple calls alternative applications market
Alternative app markets are a unique type of iOS app that you can use to install other apps on your iPhone. They can be used in addition to the App Store. Users in the European Union can install an alternative app market on the iPhone by downloading it directly from the developer’s website.
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Apple has prepared a support document where it details the requirements and ins and outs of alternative app stores. For app stores to work, the following conditions must be met:
- Apple ID: It is essential that the user’s Apple ID is registered in one of the EU member countries where this function is activated: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Åland Islands, France, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mayotte, Réunion, Saint-Martin, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Azores, Madeira, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, USA, Canary Islands, Sweden.
- Physical location in the EU: Additionally, the device and user They will have to be physically in the European Union. This process is accomplished through on-device processing that determines eligibility to access these alternative application marketplaces, but it does not provide the device location to Apple.
Apple will leave a grace period if we leave the EU
As Apple says in its support document, to maintain user privacy, this adequacy indicator It does not include user location but is just a simple indicator of whether or not you can access these EU-specific iOS 17.4 features:
Your device’s eligibility for alternative application marketplaces is determined by processing on the device. Only an eligibility indicator is sent to Apple. To protect your privacy, Apple does not collect the location of your device.
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On another side, If the user leaves the European Union, he will lose access to alternative application stores, even if they are already installed on the device itself. Likewise, updates to applications already installed through these alternative stores will also be limited. However, There is one exception: if the move is temporary or “short”, stores will continue to operate for a grace period. the duration of which has not been revealed.