Kate Mills 
Mar 13, 2024
In a bid to align with the rules set forth in the Digital Markets Act (DMA) in the European Union, the tech giant Apple rolled the iOS 17.4 last week with heavy toll of tweaks and enhancements.
Among the changes introduced in the latest iOS update, establishment of independent third-party App Store, in-app purchases and updated business regulations iOS app developers are the most notable ones.
However, after getting feedback from developers regarding the iOS 17.4, Apple has reconsidered and made changes to the rules it earlier set. As a result of those changes, the company plans to launch a new Web Distribution feature later this spring, allowing developers to offer iOS apps for download directly from their website.
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With the latest amendments to the EU App Store rules under the DMA umbrella, independent App Stores can now offer a catalogue of apps exclusively from the developer of that specific App Store.
Since verification of submissions from other developers was previously mandatory for App Store operators, with this latest change in Apple's DMA-compliance rules, marketplace operators can now independently operate and offer its own range of iOS apps for download.
Meta could operate an app marketplace in the European Union that exclusively offers its own apps for download. Under the initial guidelines, this was not allowed.
Web Distribution for iPhone users
With this new feature, iPhone users can simply navigate to a developer’s website to download an app without using the App Store or any alternative app marketplace.
However, apps can only be available for download through the web after agree to Apple’s notarisation guidelines, which allows them to be installed from a website that the developer has registered in App Store Connect.
Developers now required to agree to the new business terms in order to make their apps downloadable for users directly on their websites. Moreover, under the updated business terms, developers will pay the Core Technology Fee of €0.50 for each first annual install over one million in the past 12 months.
