Apple has revealed that starting September 16, iPad users in the EU will be able to install third-party app stores on their tablets (no sideloading required). To do this, they’ll need to install iPadOS 18, which becomes widely available on Monday.
In April, the European Commission designated iPadOS a “core platform service,” meaning that the operating system, like iOS, the App Store, and Safari, is subject to stricter rules under the European Union’s digital markets law. As TechCrunch points out, Apple had six months to update iPadOS to comply with the DMA and open up the platform to third-party app marketplaces.
Epic Games has already committed to bringing its app marketplace to iPadOS, meaning EU users should be able to play Fortnite and Fall Guys natively on compatible iPads in the near future. Several other third-party app stores have appeared on iOS in the EU since Apple added official support in March.
AltStore PAL, Epic Games Store and others aren’t subject to Apple’s regular app review policies, but the company notarizes them for security reasons. Developers on third-party app marketplaces must pay Apple a core technology fee if they meet certain criteria (the EU launched an investigation into the fee in March).
Another important change coming to the iPad with the release of iPadOS 18 is less known on the surface, but could ultimately change how EU users browse the web on their iPads: Apple will allow third-party browsers to use their own engines on iPadOS instead of using its own WebKit. This means that companies like Mozilla and Google will be able to offer iPad versions of Firefox and Chrome that run on their own technology.
